Listen to Australian and world news and follow trending topics with
Measuring only two millimeters, the small bullet hole borer can kill a tree in two years.
At least 3,000 trees in Perth have already been destroyed in an attempt to stop the pest.
By tunneling through trunks and branches, they infect trees with a fungus that stops the transfer of water and nutrients.
Associate Professor Theo Evans, from the University of Western Australia, studies insect behavior and genetics.
“It’s about 1 to 2 millimeters, it’s a sesame seed. It attacks trees and eats the wood, not directly but it has a fungus. The fungus attacks the wood, then the beetle attacks the fungus, and it can attack and kill hundreds of tree species.
Concerns have also been raised within the community.
“Urban heat load is a very important problem that we face, with climate change. And then now we have trees that are affected. I don’t think we clearly understand which trees are affected. It has an impact of flowers and trees that give you honey, shade – all kinds of problems.”
Native to Southeast Asia, these beetles were first detected in Western Australia in 2021.
Authorities say it is unclear how the beetle entered Australia.
Both the federal and state governments have allocated funds for a beetle eradication plan, with $20 million from the Albanian government and $4.7 million from the state government.
More than 160 full-time local employees are helping implement the plan, which includes cutting down infected trees to stop the spread.
This invasive pest was previously thought to be confined to the Perth metropolitan area.
But it has now been found in elderberry bushes and corals outside the quarantine zone.
Vincent Lanoiselet is the plant biosecurity manager for WA’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
“Twelve trees were found infested with the borer outside of the quarantine zone. The good news is that the infestations are not very far from the boundary(s) of the quarantine zone, and the detections were also identified in As part of normal surveillance, we basically do a lot of work at the boundaries of the quarantine zone to make sure that if the pest manages to escape from the quarantine zone, we can detect it very quickly and eliminate it. infestation.
He says unfortunately there are no chemical controls available to get rid of this pest.
They engage with international researchers who have over 20 years of experience in the blasthole driller field to find a collaborative solution.
The good news is that the infestation is not very far from the boundary(s) of the zone. And the detections were also identified as part of normal surveillance. Basically, we do a lot of work around the edges of the quarantine area to make sure that if the pest manages to escape from the quarantine area, we can detect it very quickly and act very quickly to eliminate that infestation. »
Associate Professor Theo Evans believes there could be another way the beetle could spread in Perth.
“So if people are pruning their trees, maybe they have a tree branch near a power line. They’ll cut their branch and take it away to get rid of it. And that might involve taking it out of the quarantine zone.”
He says the beetle can still spread even after an infected tree is destroyed, because parts of the tree are turned into shavings and then mulch, which could then be transported and used elsewhere.
“It’s very concerning. It’s bad in Perth. Perth already has a very low canopy and we’re going to lose even more. But if you live in Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne it could be worse. The beetle is probably better adapted to life in the east the coast because it is wetter and it also attacks figs And figs are more present in the urban canopy of Brisbane and Sydney and they attack the London plane trees. are very common to Melbourne could therefore lose 50 percent or more of their urban canopy.
Officials now fear the small beetle could spread to the East Coast.
They urge the public to check the trees and report any sightings.
With the spring breeding season fast approaching, scientists are racing against time to eradicate the beetle.
New warning signs are being installed in Perth and the quarantine limit is being reviewed.
