An infestation of the invasive Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle (PSHB) has been spotted in Penhill, Eerste River, according to a recently released media statement by the City of Cape Town.
The infested trees are located outside the Somerset West area and the City’s Southern suburbs.
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The City was notified of a possible PSHB infested tree in the Penhill area, back in 1 February 2024, which was investigated, with samples being sent to Stellenbosch University (SU) for DNA testing.
SU would later confirm that the samples tested PSHB positive, on 15 March.
This would make Penhill a ‘new PSHB hotspot area’, according to Alderman Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee (Mayco) Member for Spatial Planning and Environment.
‘We are extremely concerned about the latest sighting as to date we have managed to contain the invasive Asian borer beetle to the Helderberg area and the Southern suburbs,’ said Andrews.
‘The City’s Invasive Species Unit conducted surveys in the Penhill area over the past seven weeks, and I can confirm that unfortunately, we have identified a total of 24 infested trees,’ he added.
Eight of the infested trees are located on City-owned land, and 14 infested trees on private properties.
These areas include Boxelders, London Planes, English Oaks, Beef Wood, Weeping Willow, Cape Chestnut, Black Locust, Paperbark and Maples.
‘This is of great concern, and the City is encouraging all private land owners to inspect their trees for symptoms and to contact the City immediately,’ said Andrews.
The City has since stated that it would need access to private properties for the sole purpose of ‘conducting a full assessment to determine the extent of the infestation in Penhill’.
‘We will be doing more surveys in Penhill and the surrounding neighbourhoods in the coming weeks. Thus, I ask property owners to please assist us, and to allow City officials on-site to do these inspections,’ said Andrews.
The latest infestation statistics indicate that 258 sightings of infested trees have been recorded in Newlands, Rondebosch, Mowbray, Claremont, Kenilworth and Observatory along the Liesbeek River.
In addition, over 4 961 infested trees have been sighted in the Helderberg Area since 2019.
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Picture: Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle infestation in Somerset West 2020 / City of Cape Town / Facebook