LONGHORN BORER

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 83, 4 October 1941, Page 11

LONGHORN BORER

ITS RAVAGES IN TIMBER

A correspondent raises the question of the ravages in Wellington of the longhorn borer, suggesting that legislation should be introduced to deal with this pest before it does further damage to wooden "buildings. Its ravages, he says, are worse than those of termites, and one of the causes of the increased distribution of the longhorn borer is the presence of macrocarpa trees, which have now grown to a large size.

The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, to -which the matter was referred, said that the authorities were quite alive to the menace. The longhorn borer undoubtedly had a preference for macrocarpa trees as a breeding place, because of the dead wood in them. But it did not lay its eggs in macrocarpas exclusively, and if all these trees were cut down it would no doubt transfer its attentions to other woods. The stump of the cut trees would still be a danger. It was easy enough to advocate the eradication of all macrocarpa trees, but there was no authority for such drastic measures, and there would be great difficulties in the matters of cost and responsibility. Even if this was done, there was no guarantee of a cure. The only practical thing to do until some means is found of eradicating the pest, by parasitic or other methods, was to avoid using infested timber or storing it in or near a wooden building, and to treat any timber that is infected.