(KRON) — South Bay officials are warning about a tiny but dangerous pest that’s damaging trees in the region.
The “shot hole borer” beetle, which is about the size of a sesame seed, has recently been found in San Jose for the first time. It’s unclear how or when it arrived, but it might have come from Southern California, said The County of Santa Clara Division of Agriculture.
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This beetle spreads a harmful fungus that causes a tree disease called “Fusarium dieback”, leading to severe damage or even death of the trees. Trees affected by the disease might have oozing sap and dying branches, and the beetles can quickly spread the problem to other trees, said the division of agriculture.
Officials are asking residents to stay alert and report any signs of the beetle or the disease to help control the spread.
“We’re asking for the community’s help in identifying trees that have been attacked by invasive shothole borers, which will help us determine the extent of the infestation,” said Drew Raymond, acting agricultural commissioner for the County of Santa Clara. “While we probably can’t get rid of the invasive shothole borer at this point, we can contain the infestation to protect as many of our trees as possible.”