Cape Town's urban forests under attack from tree-killing beetle
The beetle, which comes from Vietnam, works by burrowing in the trees and sucking all the nutrients and water out of it, therefore killing it.
CAPE TOWN - Cape Town’s urban forests are under attack from a tree-killing beetle.
The beetle, which comes from Vietnam, works by burrowing in the trees and sucking all the nutrients and water out of it, therefore killing it.
The beetle arrived in Cape Town three years ago and since then, there has been a decline in the English oak trees, with thousands of trees having been affected in the Mother City alone.
The insect poses a threat to all of Cape Town’s green spaces.
Paul Barker, an arborist and tree care specialist said the dying branches of the English oak can pose a risk to property.
“So there’s a great risk of your neighbour’s tree falling onto your wall, hopefully never falling onto your car or damaging somebody, but there is great risk of English oaks creating a further problem by dropping branches."
Barker said not all trees were affected by the beetle, and that when one tree dies, another will grow.
“What I took from my observations in George is that it's not all bad news, there are trees that won’t succumb as quickly, as the oaks decline, other trees will fulfil that void."