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If wood cant be moved away from uninfested trees, consider covering the wood piles with thick mil, clear, plastic tarp or metal window screen (with a mesh small enough to stop mosquitoes) to trap emerging GSOB until they die from starvation.
Removing the bark and drying small pieces of oak firewood under direct sunlight for one growing season is another tactic that may help contain pest populations. Homeowners should contact a licensed professional tree care specialist about this treatment option.
The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) has been found in three species of oak in our area: Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia), Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis), and California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii).
Goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) larvae remain in cut oak logs and firewood from GSOB-killed trees or green infested trees and are a continual threat of further infestation. Wood from GSOB infested trees should not be removed from local infested areas.
Researchers are testing several management tactics for goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) in Southern California. The following management options are provided based on current GSOB research findings.
The damage that GSOB causes has the potential to devastate oak woodlands, as infestations impact the oldest and most prolifically reproducing trees. Poor oak recruitment and regeneration not only threatens the oak forests themselves, but also the wildlife that utilize oak resources.
Goldspotted Oak Borer 2024 Virtual Symposium Online via Zoom Webinar November 6, 2024 8:00 AM 12:30 PM Description: The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) is an invasive wood-boring beetle that attacks and contributes to the mortality of oaks throughout southern California and remains a considerable thr...
