Pest Alert! - Gold-spotted Oak Borer 

There is a new boring insect – a beetle (Family Buprestidae: Agrilus coxalis) – that is attacking Oak trees in the mountain areas of San Diego County. It is a new pest believed to have been introduced to the area from southern Mexico. This pest has killed thousands of native Oaks in San Diego County and is infesting and killing thousands more. 

There is a treatment regimine recommended for control of the pest. However, because of the cost and the numbers of the trees on ranches and large properties, it is difficult if not impossible to treat all the trees. We are beginning to do the systemic treatments for the high value trees in order to coordinate treatment with the winter rains as most of these Oak trees are in non irrigated areas. A second treatment method, a foliar spray treatment, is also valuable and should be timed to be made in May or June. 

Please contact us as soon as possible to schedule treatment as the window of opportunity for non irrigated trees is short.

- Jack Olmstead, Entomologist
  California Agricultural Pest Control Adviser 

Gold spotted oak borer link