Gold Spotted Oak Borer found in Idyllwild
In November 2012 the Gold Spotted Oak Borer was discovered in a tree near Hwy. 243 in Idyllwild. Local experts were eager to alert the Idyllwild community of the arrival of this pest, so the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council sponsored a meeting at the Town Hall with around 100 people in attendance. The meeting featured Dr. Tom Coleman of the U.S. Forest Service, Dr. Tom Scott of the University of California, Riverside and Kevin Turner, formerly of Cal Fire and now at UCR.
Dr. Coleman’s research into the beetle is not complete, and he was unable to make recommendations for treatment beyond tree removal. The main recommendation was to not import wood from other areas which might be infected and further spread the pest in our local area.
The MCFSC Woodies, members of the Idyllwild Garden Club and others have undergone training to identify infected trees and will begin to inspect local trees in a effort to keep the pest from spreading. If you have an oak tree which does not look healthy, please call the GSOB hotline at 951-659-3850 so further action can be taken.
