City offers Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle (PSHB) pest training in Constantia

12 August 2025

The City of Cape Town is offering a free training session about the invasive Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle (PSHB) to all residents and businesses that handle trees and plant material. The intention is to educate the public on how to identify infested trees, and manage and transport beetle infested biomass to prevent the spread of the pest as far as possible. The training session will be hosted at the Alphen Hall in Constantia tomorrow, 13 August 2025. Residents are also welcome to attend. Read more below:

The PSHB continues to pose a serious threat to Cape Town's urban forest and biodiversity. Since 2019, PSHB symptoms have been observed on 116 (indigenous = 34 and alien = 82) tree species in the City of Cape Town.

To date, PSHB has been confirmed/observed in over 6 000 trees (among these are Boxelders, London Planes, English Oaks, Beef Wood, Weeping Willow, Cape Chestnut, Black Locust, Paperbark and Maples) across the City in the following Areas: Somerset West; Strand; Penhill; Newlands; Constantia; Rondebosch; Observatory; Mowbray; Rosebank; Claremont; Kenilworth; Wynberg; Diep River; Pinelands; Durbanville; Brackenfell; Kraaifontein; Bellville and Parow North.

‘Improper handling, movement and disposal of PSHB infested material continue to aid the spread of PSHB across the city. The use of pesticides and fungicides have not proven effective at eradicating PSHB from infected trees therefore, infested tree material has to be chipped, incinerated or solarised. We need the support and collaboration of residents and businesses working with plant material to prevent the spread of this pest. I encourage residents and businesses in the area to attend the City’s free training session tomorrow if possible,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

Importantly, movement of firewood still remains a huge concern. The City encourages members of the public to consider the use of other alternatives. Where it is unavoidable to use firewood, please remember to ‘burn it where you buy it’.

The City’s Invasive Species Unit (ISU) will be hosting a PSHB training session aimed at educating residents, businesses (involved in managing/handling trees and plant material) and the general public on how to identify PSHB symptoms on trees and plant material and how to properly handle and manage infested material.

The details for the training session are:
• Wednesday, 13 August 2025
• From 12:00 to 15:00
• Alphen Centre Hall, Constantia Main Road, Constantia

The City will focus on the protocols applicable to infested trees and biomass, among which:
• How to identify infested trees and what symptoms to look out for
• What to do next, what not to do
• How to handle infested biomass
• How to safely dispose of infested biomass
• How to transport green waste
• How to handle equipment and machinery in a manner that will not spread the pest to other areas

What to look out for and symptoms of infested trees:
• Branch dieback – cracks on the branch; discoloured leaves; dry and leafless branches; branch break-off revealing webs of galleries filled with black fungus
• Gumming – blobs of goo coming out of the bark; oozing of liquid and gum from the beetle holes
• Entry and exit holes – very small holes on the bark of the tree, the size of a sesame seed (2mm); shotgun-like scars developing around the holes
• Staining – brown or dark stains on the bark of the tree

How to report PSHB beetle sightings:

• Online at www.capetown.gov.za/InvasiveSpecies
         
• Call the City of Cape Town's Invasive Species Unit on 021 444 2357, Monday to Friday, from  07:30 to 16:00

• Send an email to: invasive.species@capetown.gov.za

The City will try its best to respond within 10 working days to verify reported sightings on a first come first served basis. However, the response time will depend on the number of sightings received or reported.

End

Issued by: Media Office, City of Cape Town

Media enquiries: Jason Love, Executive Support Officer to the Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Cell: 072 161 4037, Email: Jason.Love@capetown.gov.za (Please always copy media.account@capetown.gov.za)

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office