'It is scary': Oak-killing beetle reaches Ventura County, significantly expanding range
Los Angeles Times••nation
Key Points:
- The goldspotted oak borer, a tiny invasive beetle responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of oak trees in Southern California, has been detected in Ventura County for the first time, marking its northernmost spread in the state.
- First found in Ventura County in summer 2024, the beetle infests oak trees by laying eggs on them; larvae bore into the cambium layer, disrupting nutrient flow and causing tree death, with signs including thinning canopies, stained trunks, and distinctive D-shaped exit holes.
- Native to Arizona where it causes minimal harm, the beetle likely spread to California via firewood, and has since devastated oak populations in multiple counties, killing an estimated 200,000 trees and threatening important ecosystems like the
