Santa Barbara, California – Hikers climbing into the foothills above Mission Canyon and families gathering at Shoreline Park are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across Santa Barbara County this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Asian longhorned beetle attacks maple, birch, willow, poplar and elm trees. Officials warn the insect burrows deep into trunks, cutting off nutrients and weakening trees long before visible dieback appears.
The Douglas Family Preserve, Los Padres National Forest trailheads and parks near the Santa Barbara Mission feature clusters of hardwoods that provide shade along creeks, picnic areas and neighborhood walking paths. Similar tree cover stretches into Goleta parks and along riparian corridors flowing toward the Pacific.
The beetle is glossy black with bright white spots and long black-and-white banded antennae that extend beyond its body. Visitors may notice perfectly round exit holes in trunks or sawdust-like material collecting at the base of trees.
If infestations spread, weakened limbs could snap during gusty sundowner wind events common along the South Coast, creating hazards along trails and park roads.
Officials urge residents and park visitors to kill the beetle on sight if safely possible and report sightings immediately to state agriculture authorities. Early detection this season could prevent widespread tree removal and protect Santa Barbara’s urban and coastal canopy into summer.
