The latest weapon against invasive elm leaf beetles attacking Orange’s trees is duct tape.
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The beetles are responsible for draining the colour from the city’s elm trees, leading some residents to think autumn has arrived early or trees have died.
Gardener Libby Pyle from Garden Wise wrapped duct tape around elm trees in March Street to protect them in December.
“The elm leaf beetle may not kill them but with three de-foliations, you will lose the tree,” Ms Pyle said.
She said first signs appeared in November with little ‘shot holes’ in leaves created by beetles and leaves are eventually ‘skeletonised’ by larvae.
“Don’t ignore it, a few small holes in leaves and it’s worth putting a band on a tree,” Ms Pyle said.
“Banding works to break the life cycle at the larvae stage.
She said the difference in interrupting the beetle before the first cycle could be seen at the western end of March Street when compared with trees closer to Sale Street.
The beetles have also been found in Cook Park for the first time.
“It’s what I call a mini-disaster,” Councillor Russell Turner said.
“We’re told it doesn’t kill (the trees), but it certainly takes the nutrition out of the tree and premature defoliation and ultimately in the long term, leads to very bad health for trees and their long-term viability.”
Cr Turner said it would be devastating to lose the city’s elm trees.
“People are putting tape around the trees which limits their ability to come down from the trees and into the ground to produce larvae,” he said.
“It’s very difficult to eliminate them altogether, at this stage all we can do is just slow the numbers down so it limits the damage.
“It’s going to be an ongoing cost, whether we’re putting tape around the trees, whether we’re injecting the trees, ultimately if they start to die, there’s a huge cost in knocking those trees down, carting them away and shredding them.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that stage.”
Orange City’s Council’s city presentation manager Nigel Hobden said banding trees was a cost effective solution for private gardens.
“Chemicals are a last resort as they’re non-selective,” he said.
“Banding trees is cost-effective and can interrupt the life cycle.”
Mr Hobden encouraged people to use banding on their own elm trees ahead of the next season, as the beetles will hibernate over winter.
He said the beetles became active in December until February and wet winter would help reduce their numbers.
Mr Hobden said residents could contact council or an arborist if they had concerns.