THE members of the Perthville Uniting Church have been unable to use the church building for more than 18 months due to an elm leaf beetle infestation.
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The church, located on Vale Road near the tunnel of trees, has dead beetles littering the floor, pews and other furniture in the building.
Despite cleaning efforts from members of the church, the problem continues to occur.
The hall near the church has become the venue for meetings since the infestation reached “plague proportions” in May, 2016, but even that is not immune to the issue.
Brian Cowan, the church’s property committee convener, said there were two weeks over March and April this year where the hall was not able to be used at all.
He said that whenever the church has been used, people end up covered in the beetles.
“They must be getting up into the roof somehow and they’re dropping from the roof,” Mr Cowan said.
Volunteers have held several cleaning days since the problem started, but Mr Cowan said three hours of vacuuming is undone in a week.
In February this year, Mr Cowan invited residents, environmentalists and the Department of Primary Industries to see the infestation in the church.
When they arrived, there was a powerful smell on the air and the floor of the church was covered by tiny elm leaf beetles, as well as the pews, windowsills and other furniture throughout the building.
Dr Ainsley Seago, a technical manager of insect collections from DPI, collected a sample of beetles from the church, with the intention of testing them for parasitoids.
Mr Cowan said the church has not heard back yet in regards to the sample taken.
However, there may be some light at the end of the tunnel for the church, with Bathurst Regional Council soon to commence its elm leaf beetle control program for 2017.
Elmsavers Pty Ltd will carry out the program this year, which will include the treatment of elm trees within the road reserves and parks at Hill End, Rockley, Perthville, including Vale Road, and areas within Bathurst’s CBD.
The works will involve a stem injection treatment utilising specialist equipment that applies insecticide into the vascular system of the trees.
The method is considered to be the most effective and environmentally sound as it delivers the insecticide directly into the tree.
Mr Cowan said he wasn’t sure if the program would improve the situation for the church, but if it did the church would need to replace its carpet before it could be used again.
Volunteers are also trialing electronic pest control devices to see if that will make a difference.