The Santa Cruz County Department of Agriculture and the University of California Cooperative Extension are alerting the public to a “confirmed infestation” of the shothole borer beetle along Zayante Creek south of Graham Hill Road in Felton.
The presence of the invasive, non-native species was confirmed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Entomology Laboratory.
The Department of Agriculture was first alerted by a Felton resident who noted damage to trees while on a hike near East Zayante Road and Graham Hill Road. It’s working with the UC Cooperative Extension to survey the area to better understand the infestation.
“Invasive shothole borers are small beetles that can damage or kill a wide variety of host trees,” the Santa Cruz County Department of Agriculture said in a release. “While eradication of invasive shothole borers is extraordinarily difficult, members of the public who live in the area can help by checking trees for signs of infestation, which include small holes in trees that are perfectly round and roughly the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. Other signs can include wet staining, gumming, frass, boring dust and sugary buildup around entry and exit holes.”
The beetles’ presence was also recently confirmed in the Coyote Creek area of San Jose.
To report suspected damage from invasive shothole borers, property owners should call the Santa Cruz County Department of Agriculture at 831-763-8080. Resources on the monitoring, detection and management of invasive shothole borer beetles are available at ISHB.org, or by contacting your local Cooperative Extension Forest Advisor.
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