Local News in Brief : Trees Hit by Beetles Tagged for Removal
Palos Verdes Estates has tagged for removal 180 trees damaged or killed by the Australian eucalyptus borer beetle, which has struck hardest in the city’s Valmonte area where eucalyptus stands are dense. The trees to be removed represent from 10% to 20% of the Valmonte public parklands.
City Forester Walter Warriner said it will cost about $25,000 to remove the trees and infested deadwood from 100 other trees that have been hit by the beetles. The inch-long insect deposits its eggs under the bark of eucalyptus trees, and the growing larvae kill the trees. Trees under stress from drought are the most vulnerable.
Tree removal is part of a program, which Warriner outlined to the City Council, that also includes an immediate survey of all city parklands to determine the extent of infestation and an analysis of the cost to remove and dispose of infested wood.
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