Goldspotted oak borer beetles infesting Orange County trees

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- A destructive beetle is infesting oak trees in Orange County, and wildlife officials say the insects' spread needs to stop.

An oak tree more than a century old came crashing down at the Weir Canyon Nature Preserve. Wildlife biologist Dr. Thomas Scott said more than 20 trees just like it also need to go because they're infested by goldspotted oak borer beetles.

"It takes 10 or 15 years, but by the time they're done, what was an oak woodland is now a grassland," Scott said.

The goldspotted oak borer beetle is smaller than a penny but lethal to oak trees.

A preservationist found several distinctive exit holes shaped like the letter d on dying trees in the area.

The beetle eats around and through the trunk, leaving black lines and causing a slow death.

"It creates a problem with the water uptake of the tree and when summer hits, particularly maybe even into October when we have very dry conditions, the trees succumb," Scott said.

The dry trees add to our already extremely dangerous fire conditions. Up until now, biologists only spotted the beetle in Idyllwild and San Diego.

They believe people transporting fire wood helped the beetle make it to Orange County.

"If you live near an area in an oak woodland, it's very important that you don't buy oak wood from outside sources," said Nicholas Martinico, a park ranger.

Park rangers and the Orange County Fire Authority will turn the 20 trees into wood chips and spray pesticides on other trees that may be infected.

Biologists plan to watch the area closely. They say any further spread of the beetle could cause serious consequences.

"If they want to buy firewood from San Diego and it's oak firewood, they're running the risk that in that firewood, is a beetle that's going to destroy the oaks of Orange County," Scott said.

Park rangers say the best rule is to burn your firewood where you buy it.