Solarisation site in South for beetle pest infested plant material
16 October 2023
The City of Cape Town wants to inform residents and those involved in the removal, handling and management of Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) infested material that the Chukker Road Sports Complex will be available for the solarisation of beetle infested chipped wood material as from Monday, 23 October 2023.
The Chukker Road Sports Complex is located in Kenwyn in Kenilworth, and a section of the sports complex has been identified as a suitable site for the solarisation of PSHB infested material.
'Solarisation is one of the recommended methods of dealing with infested plant material. PSHB infested plant material should be chipped, and placed in bags that are properly closed, and placed in direct sunlight for an extended period of time. Of course, now that we are heading into summer with higher temperatures, we want to encourage residents and professionals to use this site for solarisation. It is recommended that during the summer season, infested material must be solarised for at least six weeks and during the cold season for at least six months,' said the City's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
Importantly: no chipping operations will be carried out at this facility and only PSHB infested wood material that is chipped already, and secured in bags that are properly closed, will be accepted.
City officials will be on site on a daily basis to inspect all vehicles that are bringing in material for solarisation. Only confirmed cases of PSHB infested loads will be accepted for this purpose.
'It's important that City departments work together to minimise the risk of infestation and spreading of the PSHB beetle which poses a serious risk to trees and our urban environment. The City's Recreation and Parks Department requests residents to follow the guidelines and assist the City in the disposing of the affected trees in the recommended manner,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Community and Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.
The PSHB continues to pose a serious threat to Cape Town's urban forest, economy, biodiversity and livelihoods. PSHB in Cape Town was first confirmed in April 2019 in the Somerset West area. Unfortunately, the pest has spread to the Southern suburbs of Cape Town, with the first sighting confirmed in January 2023. To date, the beetle pest has been identified in the following areas: Newlands, Rondebosch, Mowbray, Claremont, Kenilworth, Observatory along the Liesbeek River, Wynberg, and the Helderberg area.
The City will soon be rolling out another round of free PSHB identification and management training sessions. This training is open to all formal and informal businesses, as well as residents who are involved in handling trees and plant material. Details of the training will be communicated in due course.
'Our efforts to contain the spread of the PSHB must be coordinated and supported by all who are involved in handling plant material, as well as residents with trees on their properties. We will keep on focusing on public awareness and education, what to look out for, and what to do and not to do. The fight against this pest is a long-term project. I want to encourage professionals in the landscaping and gardening industry to please attend the training sessions we will host in coming weeks, and to also create awareness among their staff,' said Alderman Andrews.
Do's and don'ts:
- Do not move any plant or tree material beyond areas with confirmed cases of PSHB
- When handling trees and plant material, assess these for PSHB symptoms
- Avoid transporting or moving PSHB infested material, and if impossible, use the shortest and safest route – a route with no or few susceptible host species, to your nearest PSHB infested biomass handling facility
- Transport green waste in closed and sealed bags, or cover the back of the vehicle with a sail cover
- Clean gardening and other tools before and after use, and disinfect vehicles used to transport green waste
- Buy firewood where you are going to use it
- Do not plant trees that are declared to be PSHB host trees, the list of PSHB host trees can be found @ www.fabinet.up.ac.za/index.php/research-groups/pshb-new/background-info/host-trees
- Avoid using contractors that have not been trained in PSHB identification and handling of PSHB infested material
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
- Beetle 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
The City will try its best to respond within 10 working days to verify a reported sighting. However, the response time will depend on the number of sightings reported.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
