{"id":72,"date":"2026-05-07T22:02:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=72"},"modified":"2026-05-07T22:02:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:02:49","slug":"a-pest-that-leaves-unsightly-sugar-volcanoes-is-trashing-calif-home-values","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=72","title":{"rendered":"A pest that leaves unsightly &#8216;sugar volcanoes&#8217; is trashing Calif. home values"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The California Department of Food and Agriculture has released a lengthy analysis to address the \u201crising tide\u201d of invasive pests entering the state\u00a0\u2014 and according to the report, one seed-sized beetle is ravaging California\u2019s landscape and likely costing billions of dollars in damages as a result.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=70\">Reds closer Emilio Pag\u00e1n carted off with an apparent left hamstring injury against the Cubs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"x1px y1px vh abs\" height=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-channels-pixel.ex.co\/events\/0012000001fxZm9AAE?integrationType=DEFAULT&amp;template=design%2Farticle%2Fplatypus_two_column.tpl\" width=\"1\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The tiny but destructive invasive shot-hole borer\u00a0poses an \u201cimminent threat\u201d to urban forests and home values throughout Southern California, particularly in Los Angeles County, interactive maps show. The\u00a0two predominant species, the Kuroshio shot-hole borer and polyphagous shot-hole borer, are known to take over 60 different tree species in the state, and in 2024, a third species of ISHB was discovered as far north as Santa Cruz County.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The flying beetle, which carries a fungal pathogen that leads to a disease called Fusarium dieback, destroyed 120,000 willows in  within just three years, a 2019 study found. After females spread the symbiotic fungus by boring into trunks and branches, the fungus blocks water from moving through the tree\u2019s vascular system, ultimately killing it. Though pocks and stains are common symptoms among infected hosts, the fungus can also cause unsightly \u201csugar volcanoes\u201d to appear on avocado trees.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>According to an informational video posted by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, ISHBs are well established in Southern California and spreading to other parts of the state. A UCANR\u00a0map also shows that the presence of these beetles has been confirmed in some of Southern California\u2019s wealthiest ZIP codes: 90210 and 90402.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Already \u201cit has affected home values in areas where it has become established and caused tree death,\u201d Karen Jetter, an author in the CDFA\u00a0analysis and UC ANR Policy Institute associate director, told SFGATE in an email Tuesday, adding that the invasive pests pose a threat to property values virtually everywhere in California except for areas at very high elevations. According to Jetter, \u201csignificant research\u201d shows that \u201cnicely landscaped environments result in higher property values on average.\u201d The Arbor Day Foundation estimates that planting large trees on properties can increase their value between 3% and 15%.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>In urban areas, tree cover provides vast benefits for homeowners: It e,\u201d a 2021 report from the University of Nebraska said. In 2017, tree cover alone increased the value of private homes in the U.S. by $604.2 billion, the report said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=68\">Padres tie season highs for hits (14) and runs in 10-5 win over Giants<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Acording to the new CDFA analysis, ISHBs\u00a0 are capable of killing up to 40% of their hosts. To make matters more complicated, researchers in San Diego say that \u201cbecause so little is known about the ecology of the borers, it has been impossible to explain their current patterns of distribution and impact, or to predict where they will impact next.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cOver the past three decades, the scale and complexity of pest threats have increased dramatically,\u201d Lindsey Carter, executive director of the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association, said in an April 30 CDFA release. \u201cThe return on investment for pest prevention is already high, but when you factor in the potential losses \u2013 not just to agriculture, but to natural ecosystems and urban environments \u2013 the case for increased funding becomes overwhelming.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>While several programs are being used to combat the entry of pests in the state, the April report said, agencies recommend bolstering pay and increasing budgets. According to the release, California officials had to combat seven\u00a0fruit fly infestations in 2023 and 2024, which cost $208 million and stretched the state\u2019s pest prevention system to its \u201cfullest capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese pests are generally thought of as threats to agriculture, but it\u2019s important to note that most of the infestations that happen in California happen in urban and suburban areas,\u201d CDFA press representative Jay Van Rein told SFGATE Wednesday. \u201cThat\u2019s because a major pathway for these pests to arrive here is when a traveler returns from overseas and unknowingly brings back pests inside of fruit, vegetables or other plant materials.\u201d Van Rein added that these pests are the biggest threat to agriculture. However, early detections have usually helped the agency eradicate infestations before they move beyond urban areas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>More News<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u2014 &#8216;This is a big outbreak&#8217;: Nearly 1 in 5 affected by TB at SF school<br \/>\u2014 Pest that leaves unsightly &#8216;sugar volcanoes&#8217; trashing Calif. home values<br \/>\u2014 Search warrant served at home connected to Kristin Smart&#8217;s killer<br \/>\u2014 Convicted child predator disappears before sentencing in Tahoe<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=66\">Giants call up top prospect Bryce Eldridge to try to jolt a sputtering offense<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><em>Sign up for\u00a0daily SFGATE breaking news alerts here.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The tiny but destructive invasive shot-hole borer (ISHB) poses an &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; to urban forests and home values throughout Southern California.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":71,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A pest that leaves unsightly &#039;sugar volcanoes&#039; 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