The rise in scolytid beetle activity in the last 3 seasons for orchard crops has corresponded with a significantly drier summer period during production in eastern Australia. The use of various pheromone lures and a range of flight trap designs have been looked at to assess the pest incidence and the impact they have on tree health. Lightning strikes are often a key precursor to scolytid attack on dying trees, the use of ethephon has also caused scolytid attack in some sites. The apparent expansion of some more serious pest species may lead to a rethink on the need to manage the pests more effectively especially if the plant disease vector scenario of a laurel wilt style organism is confirmed.
The range of pests encountered in the NSW and QLD macadamia and avocado production districts will be listed and seasonal patterns of some key species will be discussed.