City Parks is mapping PSHB hotspots in Region B
PARKVIEW – Joburg City Parks assures community members that they are working together with various stakeholders to contain the shot-hole-borer infestation affecting a number of trees in Joburg.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) assures community members that they are working together with various stakeholders to contain the shot-hole-borer infestation affecting a number of trees in Joburg.
The entity met with media and ward councillors at Zoo Lake on 26 February to share their strategies for dealing with the infestation.
Arborculturist Adelaide Chokoe of City Parks said the team is in the process of mapping all street trees in Region B to understand the extent of the shot-hole-borer problem.
“We are looking at this problem holistically by relying on literature from overseas. This beetle is highly adaptable and we have to examine its activity in the Joburg context.”
She explained that they are mapping hotspots using a GPS mapping system to identify whether trees are infected by polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB), the extent of the infestation and the overall health status of the tree.
Trees are marked with green, yellow or red spray paint depending on the extent of the borer infestation. If trees are marked red, they are highly infested, however, City Parks is not removing trees unless they are dead or dangerous.
“We cannot remove all trees that are infested with the borer as this would become an environmental disaster,” said Senzo Nyembe, general manager of ecosystems and open space management at Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo.
Chokoe further explained that if all highly infested trees were to be removed, this would threaten the ecosystems of many animals and insects including butterflies. She said that since they do not have accurate data about when the beetle arrived in Johannesburg, they are unsure how long it will take for a tree to die if it is infested with PSHB.
City Parks recommended that residents use the solarisation method whereby they cover the infested, felled wood with heavy plastic for a number of months to kill off the borer before recycling the wood. However, many residents associations including the Parktown North Ratepayers and Residents Association (PNRA) do not believe that this is the best solution to the problem.
Chairperson of the PNRA Lee-Ann Louverdis said, “Residents want to work with City Parks to help replace trees and eradicate this problem, but they need help from the City. We need a nearby depot to dispose of these trees.”
Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck also questioned the urgency with which City Parks is attending to the problem, drawing attention to the rapid increase of the infestation in his ward over the last year.
MMC for Community Development Nonhlanhla Sifumba said, “I know that people were under the impression that Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo were doing nothing about this… This is a long road and we plead with stakeholders to work with us and not against us. We are on top of things and are trying to find a cure, but in the meantime, we are trying our best to contain this infestation.
“Community members are also under the impression that if the tree is infected, it should be removed, however, we are erring on the side of caution and will only remove dead or dangerous trees.”
Sifumba called on community members to partner with the City to contain the shot-hole-borer infestation.
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