INSECT THREATENS TO DESTROY CITY'S EUCALYPTUS TREES.Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer Forget the Y2K bug Y2K bug or Year 2000 bug or millennium bug Potential problem in computers and computer networks at the beginning of the year 2000. Until the 1990s, most computer programs used only the last two digits to designate the year, the first two digits being for now. A new pest that's out and about, attacking eucalyptus trees and leaving gummy gummy an old sheep that has lost all of its incisor teeth. white substances on the shoes of passers-by, has the city's Urban Forestry Urban forestry is the care and management of urban forests, i.e., tree populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment. Urban forestry advocates the role of trees as a critical part of the urban infrastructure. Division appealing to the public for their help in getting rid of the bugs. ``Immediate action and treatment is necessary to ensure the health and safety of the trees,'' city spokeswoman Gail Ortiz said. The agricultural pest known as the eucalyptus redgum psyllid has riddled eucalyptus trees citywide, covering the leaves with honeydew and white mounds that resemble hail, Ortiz said. The tell-tale sign of an infestation infestation /in·fes·ta·tion/ (-fes-ta´shun) parasitic attack or subsistence on the skin and/or its appendages, as by insects, mites, or ticks; sometimes used to denote parasitic invasion of the organs and tissues, as by helminths. is the stained ground beneath the eucalyptus tree, experts said. The substance produced by the psyllid falls from the leaves to the ground. In severe infestations, thousands of droppings blanket the area and give the appearance of a recent hail storm. Also, the psyllids' activities cause severe leaf drop. Arborists treat the trees with a special injection that fights disease, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a spokeswoman for the forestry division. Left untreated, the stripped tree invites another destructive pest to move in - the bark boring beetle that's capable of killing eucalyptus trees. City officials urge residents to report infestations on city trees by calling (661) 294-2500. For privately owned trees, they recommend that residents contact a local pest control agent. |
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