Huntington Beach Bugs are Killing Trees
with Zest. Above three photos on the bottom row show the
Norma Gibbs Brandel Park before the tree removal. Top
picture shows the aftermath of the tree removal, just
before the expected migration of monarch butterflies. In
a side note, we noticed an incredible influx of
butterflies in early September, long before the expected
November arrival.
Huntington Beach, Calif.
The zest of Huntington Beach pests is
killing trees in Huntington Beach.
From Gibbs to Central Park, hundreds of
trees have been or will be removed, according to the Department
of Public Works. The 24-month project is
expected to eat up a large portion of the
city's tree budget, costing $300,000 of the
allotted $450,000 annual budget in the first
year alone.
City
crews have been spotted gutting dead and dying
eucalyptus trees at Gibbs Park, where over half the
trees are damaged or destroyed by several types of
beetles from Australia. Right out of a Simpson's cartoon
where Bart infested Australia with pests, it seems the
roles are reversed and at least two kinds of bugs have
eaten away at the once healthy specimens. Bugs and
weather conditions have killed a smaller number in
Central Park, currently estimated at only 3 percent. The
tortoise beetle preys on the leaves of trees in Gibbs
and Central parks, essentially sucking the life out of
these hearty trees that normally thrive in Southern
California.
Jean Nagy of
the Huntington Beach Tree Society, a tireless advocate
for proper planting of trees, plans to write grants
to help fund the tree replacements. Gibbs Park, a
supposed migration area for monarch butterflies, is
decorated with a stone tile that pays tribute to the
orange butterflies celebrated in places such as Pacific
Grove. Recently some home-owners drew attention
and complained about the condition of Gibbs park,
stating that it was messy and overgrown. Monarch butterfly specialists from
Pacific Grove traveled to Gibbs Park to study the
situation and help offer remedies. Trying to
replant in time for the migratory season, which begins
in November, many have spotted Monarchs in September.
Weather patterns in recent years may have affected the
migrations of the butterflies.
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