Western Australia capital introduces new rules to combat destructive driller beatles

These tiny beetles are as big as sesame seeds.

But the damage they can do is astronomical and could cost billions of dollars.

The city is battling the destruction of parks and gardens by borers, which has led to strict regulations in dozens of suburbs in an attempt to expand the quarantine zone.

From midnight on Friday, Perth’s quarantine area will be expanded with two additional zones.

The new buffer zone includes the LGAs of Mundaring, Armadale, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, Kwinana and Rockingham.

New measures mean residents are not allowed to move untreated wood outside the area unless it is smaller than 2.5cm.

The transportation of live plants larger than 2 cm is also prohibited unless they are being transported to a location within the quarantine zone.

The machines used for processing green waste also need to be thoroughly cleaned in these suburbs.

Vincent Lanoiselet, Chief Plant Biosecurity Officer at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in Western Australia, said the quarantine zones were necessary to stop the spread of the pesky beetles.

“We will be stepping up all surveillance activities to ensure that we can quickly detect any escapees and remove them as quickly as possible,” he said.

The original quarantine zone included the LGAs of Gosnells, Ellenbrook, Armadale and Kalamunda.

After dozens of boron bacteria were found outside Zone A, more suburbs were added to the death list.

Borer worms attack plants and timber and could cause billions of dollars in damage in Western Australia’s capital city.

Decades-old trees in places like Hyde Park and Kings Park have also fallen victim to the harmful insects.