Destructive beetle spreads to the Heads
As if wildfires are not enough, there is another threat spreading ominously through the brush of Knysna and surrounds.
The polyphagous shothole borer beetle that has been destroying trees in the Knysna CBD made national news recently when the destructive little critter was featured on Carte Blanche, and local experts have announced that it has spread into both the Eastern and Western Heads.
But there is hope, as long as everyone works together to curb the devastation, according to Ferdie Mocke of DMS NPC and Crebus, and he is calling on all residents for input to create a clearer picture of the beetle’s impact and infestation.
While local horticulturists are concerned that actions currently being undertaken in Knysna might not stop the beetle in its tracks soon enough and that it is spreading too fast, a partnership between the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and the abovementioned companies could soon bring some solutions.
Knysna-Plett Herald reported in August this year that Dr Trudy Paap of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (Fabi) in Pretoria noticed the beetles in Pledge Nature Reserve and the Knysna CBD during her visit in June.
First spotted in 2013
The beetles were first noticed in Knysna back in 2013 by Clive Nuns, manager of Parks and Recreation at Knysna Municipality at the time. By 2014, about 35 trees, both large and small, were earmarked for felling in the CBD as well as in a few other areas. This year the infestation has become a lot worse.
According to concerned local horticulturist Nanna Joubert, a contractor recently working at the Heads noticed the beetle there, infecting milkwoods, and shortly thereafter she received reports that milkwoods in the Featherbed area were also infected. “These beetles are now on both sides of the Heads,” she said.
Another local horticulturist, Esther Townsend, said the beetle has recently started infecting yellowwoods in Brenton-onLake and Westhill gardens, as well as coral trees in the Industrial Area. “Gardeners need to be vigilant,” she added.
Mapping out exactly where this beetle is presently will be a very important aspect in curtailing its spread. According to role players the process to find a way to protect trees against the beetle, although a long one, is under way.
‘Positive about a solution’
GRDM Disaster Management manager Gerhard Otto said the municipality is working together with DMS NPC and Crebus to look at a multitude of options, but added there are no definite solutions as yet. He said furthermore there is a possibility of the situation being registered as an environmental emergency.
Mocke said his company is very positive that there is a solution, but that it would just take some time. “It’s going to take a while to investigate all the possibilities, and before we can start using any substances, there is a registration process that must be completed, among other aspects,” he said.
Until that time though, said Mocke, they need input from residents. “We need the public’s help in compiling our dynamic risk profile – this will help us build a clearer picture of the infestation. When a suitable remedy for the infestation is found this will allow us and the public to act faster,” he said.
Residents can obtain more information on the infestations at www.dms-online.co.za and report infected trees using WhatsApp on 064 756 2736, where they can post a photo and a Google pin of where such infected trees can be found.
Locally, Knysna Municipality says the science around the control of the beetle and the fungus is new and developing. “Our environmental department is liaising with academia and scientists in this regard. The department will distribute an infographic as part of a public awareness campaign,” its statement reads. A timeframe for when the infographic would be distributed was not supplied at the time of going to print.