At the 2024 Perth Royal Show, Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) asked visitors to help spot and report signs of polyphagous shot-hole borer. The activity taught people what to look for and how to send a suspect observation to the department; it was not a request for visitors to treat affected trees.
What the 2024 Perth Royal Show activity asked visitors to do
DPIRD’s display in the Farm 2 Food Pavilion invited visitors to become “DPIRD Discoverers.” Children could join a “Where’s Poly?” scavenger hunt, while adults were shown how to use the MyPestGuide Reporter app to send observations directly to DPIRD. Participants could also take home magnifier cards. The WA Government announced the activity on 20 September 2024; it was specific to that year’s Show, not a current invitation to attend the display.
Signs visitors were taught to look for
The scavenger hunt focused on possible signs of the borer in tree trunks or branches:
- Multiple small entrance holes.
- Frass or sawdust around holes or on the tree.
- Dieback, meaning parts of the tree appear to be dying.
- Dark galleries, or tunnels beneath the bark.
These signs are reasons to report a suspect observation, not proof that a tree is infested. The campaign described recognition and reporting, not diagnosis or treatment by the public.
#1 Best Overall
- READY TO USE: Catchmaster Insect, Cricket, Cockroach and Spider glue traps are intended for use without bait. For best use, leave the roach trap with paper on so pests and bugs can acclimate to the trap, then place glue traps along known or suspected rodent pathways. Our products are tested under the harshest field conditions to ensure maximum reliability for any level of pest control expert.
- YEAR-ROUND CONTROL: Catchmaster spider traps for inside your home are pesticide-free and mess-free. If using in an area with dust or other debris, fold the bug trap into a tunnel to protect the glue. The original insect and roach traps are an effective and easy solution for spider problems. When placed in an area with normal conditions, the sticky traps can last up to one full year.
- INDOOR USE: Observe pest infestation with Catchmaster glue traps. An easy way to detect the efficacy of traps over time, the indoor bug catcher allows you to observe population density, treatment effectiveness, direction of travel and size of pests. Place insect traps indoor anywhere insects or pests are found. Utilize the adhesive backing on the roach killer for more placement options.
- KEEP PESTS OUT: Our glue traps for bugs & insects are a clean, economical, easy-to-use pest control solution for your home. Our glue boards are proudly made in the USA, fast acting and pesticide-free keeping your family and home protected from pests! This spider killer helps eliminate Brown Recluse Spiders from your home.
- INTELLIGENT PEST MANAGEMENT: At our core, we are dedicated pest detectives. We believe in utilizing a science-based approach to integrated pest management. We call this approach Intelligent Pest Management. We leave no stones unturned when it comes to pests and we have unwavering conviction in our products.
How public reporting fits into the response
DPIRD presented community surveillance as one part of early detection and the wider state response. The government’s 2024 release said a public report in 2021 led to Western Australia’s first detection and triggered the state’s largest biosecurity response. That history explains the department’s appeal for public help; it does not mean every report confirms an infestation or independently prevents spread.
The same 2024 release reported more than 3,700 public reports of suspect sightings since the pest was detected about two and a half years earlier, more than 150 staff on the response team, and more than two million trees inspected. It described the response at that time as a $44 million biosecurity response. These are historical figures from the 2024 announcement, not current totals.
Rank #2
- CATCH SPIDERS WHERE THEY HIDE: Spiders hide by day and hunt at night. These brown recluse spider traps wait along baseboards, behind furniture and in closets, and catch wolf and house spiders
- STOP ROACHES AND CRICKETS: One pack works as roach traps and cricket traps. Cockroaches, crickets, silverfish and earwigs walk onto the glue and stay there. Set a roach trap under the sink and behind the fridge
- PEEL, STICK AND CATCH ANYWHERE: Spiders don't stay on the floor, and this glue trap doesn't have to. Peel the back strip to stick these spider glue traps on a wall, baseboard or ceiling, right where webs form
- READY TO USE, NO BAIT NEEDED: Nothing to mix, spray or refill. Pull off the release paper and these pesticide-free glue traps for bugs start working. Fold one into a tunnel to keep dust off the glue
- PROTECT EVERY ROOM PESTS CRAWL: Bugs follow walls through the house. Put sticky bug traps in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements and garages, and slide insect glue traps under beds
What changed after the 2024 campaign
In June 2025, ABC News reported that Western Australia had concluded eradication was no longer technically feasible and was shifting to management, using targeted surveillance and tree management intended to slow the pest’s spread. The report said about 4,800 trees in Perth had been infected and that a further $26.5 million had been allocated for the shift to management. Those later figures describe a different stage and funding description from the 2024 release; they should not be added to the earlier $44 million figure as if the amounts were directly comparable. ABC News reported the change on 19 June 2025.
ABC reported that the pest had not been found outside the Perth metropolitan area at that time. Distribution can change, so that dated statement is not a current map or a substitute for checking DPIRD’s latest information and any applicable movement rules. The department’s 24 September 2026 Show announcement described a broader “Biosecurity Hero” program, which included reporting pest observations through MyPestGuide Reporter and an activity about polyphagous shot-hole borer alongside other biosecurity topics. The 2026 announcement provides that event-specific context.
Rank #3
- Trapper Insect Trap,bed bug Trap,spider Trap,Cockroach Trap
- Trapper Monitor & Insect Trap - 30 Boards (90 Traps)
Report a suspicion; leave confirmation and response to DPIRD
The practical lesson from the Show campaign is to learn the signs and submit a suspect observation through DPIRD’s official reporting channel, MyPestGuide Reporter. A suspicious hole or patch of dieback is not a confirmed detection. The 2024 announcement does not advise members of the public to cut, move, or treat a potentially affected tree; identification and response belong with the relevant authorities.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Traps and kills spiders, ants, cockroaches, crickets and other crawling insects
- Kills Brown Recluse, Black Widow and Hobo Spiders
- Non-toxic and pesticide-free
Rank #4
- READY TO USE: Spider and Insect glue traps are intended for use without insect or roach bait. For best use, leave the spider trap with paper on so pests can acclimate to the trap, then place insect traps indoor along known or suspected pest pathways.
- YEAR-ROUND CONTROL: Catchmaster glue traps are pesticide-free and no-mess. The sticky bug catcher traps are an effective and easy solution for insect and rodent problems. When placed in an area with normal conditions, the insect and spider traps can last up to one full year.
- HOME & FAMILY PROTECTION: Designed to help you keep your family protected from unwanted pests in your home, Spider and Cockroach Trap is intuitive, secure and effective. Our insect killer traps are easy to place, simply put the sticky traps against walls & along pathways to catch unwanted pests and insects. Our products are tested under the harshest field conditions to ensure maximum reliability for any level of pest control expert.
- TOTAL COVERAGE: Use the insect and roach traps indoor in residential, commercial, or industrial buildings, and sensitive areas where rodenticides or snap traps are undesirable or prohibited. Our bug trap glue boards are proudly made in the USA, fast acting and pesticide-free, keeping your family and home protected from pests! Set includes three (3) packs of four (4) traps each, for twelve (12) total traps.
- INTELLIGENT PEST MANAGEMENT: At our core, we are dedicated pest detectives. We believe in utilizing a science-based approach to integrated pest management. We call this approach Intelligent Pest Management. We leave no stones unturned when it comes to pests and we have unwavering conviction in our products.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
