“Pick a tree at random anywhere in Southern California and examine it closely. Chances are good that you will find small wet stains on its
trunk. Those wet stains are most likely signs of a fatal tree disease that is spreading throughout the region at an alarming rate, and which
has the potential to significantly change the way Southern California looks.
The disease is called Fusarium dieback, and it is transmitted by one type of fungus-farming beetle: the invasive shot hole borer.
Thought to have arrived in Southern California in packing materials from Southeast Asia, this beetle burrows into trees and grows fungal pathogens
for food. The pathogens then interrupt the transport of water and nutrients within the tree from roots to leaves, eventually causing branch dieback
and possibly death.” – Akif Eskalen, Shannon Lunch. LA Times 11/30/17
We have posted the quarterly situation report for Invasive Shot Hole Borers on our website.