Also known as Tea Shot-Hole Borer, Tea Shot Hole Borer
Polyphagous shot hole borers are tiny ambrosia beetles that cultivate specialized fungi within the wood of living trees. Females bore through bark into the sapwood, excavating complex gallery networks and innoculating the wood with symbiotic fungi that nourish both adults and larvae. The proliferation of this fungal partner disrupts the tree's vascular transport system, causing widespread branch dieback and systemic tree mortality across agricultural orchards and native forests.
Harmless to humans; safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
Detecting Entry Holes: Look for tiny, ballpoint-pen-tip-sized holes in tree bark surrounded by dark staining, white crusty ring deposits, or sugary exudates.
Containment: Do not move untreated firewood or green waste from infested regions to prevent introducing beetles to uninfested forests.
