The Oak Killer Comes to Ventura County: STOP GSOB NOW

Save our oaks! Keep goldspotted oak borer from entering the Ojai Valley

The devastating goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) that has killed thousands of coast live oaks south of us is in our county now and moving towards Ojai. We have an incredible oak woodland not only in town but across the entire Ojai Valley. GSOB is not able to travel far on its own but is quickly moved around the state in firewood that is transported. 

It is critical that if you are inclined to burn oak firewood you know where it came from. The best solution is to only use oak from your own property of your immediate vicinity (within less than a mile ideally). Many vendors sell firewood including oak around the county. The problem with this is that firewood is collected from wherever it is found or made available, split, stacked, and sold to whoever will buy it. There is no way to know where the oak came from.

If it was transported from GSOB infested areas (such as Santa Susana), it could bring GSOB into our valley. While there is an attempt to regulate the transport of firewood, it is unlikely to be effectively implemented. While it may become “illegal” to transport oak around the state, that will not stop it from happening. Buyer beware! Only you can prevent GSOB.

Learn more about GSOB entering Ventura County here in the Los Angeles Times.

By Jan Scow, Registered Consulting Arborist and Ojai Trees Board Member