Hi Cat, many many beetles look like MOB and a microscope rather than a picture is often required for ID. Symptoms of infestation can be seen in these two documents below (and I included other informative links), but the two features that most often stand out are sections of dieback in the crown (not visible this time of year) and pale boring dust along the trunk or around the base. If you see these symptoms we would be happy to visit your tree(s) to determine if MOB is present. At this point we are not advising pre-emptive removal of oaks or avoidance of planting oaks. However if your intentions are to extensively plant oaks be advised that they could be at risk from MOB, ensuring that your oaks are established well and stay healthy will give them the best chance of survival.

Factsheet: https://tinyurl.com/MOB-oregon
Other oak pests: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/Documents/forestbenefits/oak-pests.pdf
Press release: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/forestbenefits/Documents/news-release-mediterranean-oak-borer.pdf
MOB map: https://oda.fyi/MOBMap

Christine Buhl
Jan. 2, 2024, 1:35 a.m.