Proteas under attack at Melville Koppies

“Our beautiful proteas are being attacked by an insidious little insect that sucks the life out of them,” said the chairperson of Friends of Melville Koppies, Wendy Carstens.

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Blackened dead trees now dot the veld and look like they were burnt in a veld fire.

The proteas are indigenous to the Koppies and flower in summer.

Their thick bark enables them to withstand fire, but seemingly not an invasion of little bugs.

To tackle the problem, another Melville Koppies volunteer, Tam Scheidegger, got experts involved in trying to identify the insect.

In the meantime, she and members of the Mountain Club of South Africa spray some of the infected trees with an environmentally-friendly spray that seemed effective on some of the test trees.

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Could these bugs with no natural predators in SA have come from across the seas?

“Quite possible,” said Scheidegger. “We’re not too sure yet of the life cycle of this bug and how it moves from one tree to another.”

The Koppies are open Sundays between 08:00 and 11:30.

Join a guided tour from 08:00 to learn about Joburg’s lengthy geological history, or take the self-guided heritage trail.

If it is exercise you want, you can try the challenging 5km trail or meander at your own pace along the many paths.

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Safe parking is available opposite the Melville Koppies entrance at Marks Park Sports Club on Judith Road, Emmarentia.

Security is provided on the Koppies. Entry costs R90 a person, R50 for those younger than 18.

All income goes to the maintenance of the Koppies.

For more information, call 079 532 0083 or email wendavid@mweb.co.za