Crop protection agent Jeff Blesovsky of Salt Rock writes:
Polyphagous shot hole borer is a tiny beetle, which bores and lays eggs in trees.
It is associated with different types of fungi. One of these fungi is Fusarium. The shot hole beetle shares a symbiotic relationship with this fungus, as this fungus is the beetle’s main source of food in addition to it being the main cause associated with the wilting of trees.
It is the fungus that kills the tree and not the borer.
New Pests and diseases are an ever-present threat and occur frequently from season to season. For example, Fall Army Worm, Sugarcane thrip, aphids, insecticide resistant mosquitoes.
The general public seem to be on about PSHB and now a certain paranoia prevails.
Drone infrared red technology (Trees Under Threat, Courier May 3) has been used to monitor hotspots for some years. This unfortunately is where a problem can occur. The infrared technology picks up hot spots which could be caused by numerous other organisms and not necessarily PSHB. The uninformed public then tackle these hotspot areas inappropriately, doing more damage than good.
Many types of borer, which are natural to our environment do cause damage but don’t kill a tree.
With borer damage that is perceived as PSHB, often totally inappropriate methods are used to treat the misdiagnosis. And to make matters worse, so called experts are consulted who confirm that the damage “could be” PHSB and recommend these treatments which do far more damage than good.
Irresponsible control management is possibly more of a threat than PSHB borer itself.
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