February 12, 2013

Dear Urban Forestry Friends,

This issue of the California Urban Forests Newsletter is all about pests–from beetles to fungus; many of our trees are at risk, but there are steps we can take to protect our trees:

Thank you for all you do for urban forestry!

Regards,

Sonali Shah
Communications Manager
California Urban Forests Council

The Goldspotted Oak Borer (GSOB)

The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) has been detected in a California black oak tree in Idyllwild, Riverside County.

This represents the first long-distance movement of the beetle from San Diego County, 40 miles to the south. It is believed to have made the jump from San Diego to Idyllwild through the movement of infested firewood.

For more information on GSOB visit www.gsob.org.

Partners in Crime: The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer & fungus Fusarium sp.

The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer and fungus Fusarium sp. is especially harmful to avocado trees. However, the beetle has a number of other hosts, including the box elder, black locust, bigleaf maple, and more.

Click here for tips on what to look for, including single exit hole with surrounding white powdery exudates, and who to contact if you find the problem.

Immediate steps to help stop the spread of pests
“DON’T MOVE FIREWOOD”:

  • Use firewood from local sources – “Buy it Where you Burn It”
  • Leave firewood at home – do not transport it to recreational cabins,
    campgrounds or parks
  • Anyone planning to purchase or burn firewood is encouraged to visit www.firewood.ca.gov to learn how help stop the spread of GSOB and other pests through the movement of firewood.
  • Share with your network

More Resources:

Trees, Pests, and People film by Dontmovefirewood.org

Is the story of three kinds of trees: Walnut, Avocado, and Ash, all threatened by invasive insects and diseases—forest pests. This is the story of how these pests affect people’s everyday lives and how we can all help to protect our trees and forests. Click here to go to the site.

Imapinvasives

Facilitates the management and sharing of invasive species information, including the extent of infestations, search efforts, and treatment outcomes. Affordable, sustainable, and collaborative tools developed by the Partnership provide a flexible platform for aggregating invasive species data from a wide variety of sources. Click here to go to the site.

Report A Pest by the California Dept of Food & Ag

Provides tips and information on how to report a New or Unusual Plant or Pest in your area. Click here to go to the site.

Continental Dialogue

Cultivates collaborative action among diverse interests to abate the threat to North American forests from non-native insects and diseases. Click here to go to the site.

Here’s a V-Day dinner and a movie idea:
Lurking in the Trees, the Movie

Lurking in the Trees film Dontmovefirewood.org
When a foreign invasive pest – the Asian longhorned beetle – was discovered to be killing Worcester’s MA maple trees, the city took decisive action to halt the spread of the beetle, protecting trees across New England from certain death. Click here to go to the site.

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