Invasive Beetle Species Claims 500 More Worcester Trees

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Worcester will be removing 500 more trees from the area near the Green Hill Golf Course in an effort to eliminate the Asian Longhorned Beetle population that has plagued Worcester County since 2008.

Eleven of the trees have already been removed already because they were infested, while the remaining 491 will be removed within the next month or so because they have been deemed high risk host trees.

“Most of the infected trees that we are finding are at the core of the infestation and not at the bases of the regulated area,” said Clint McFarland, the Massachusetts Asian Longhorned Beetle Project Manager. “By removing these trees, we are hoping to create a buffer zone so that we can protect the rest of the trees in the area.”

McFarland says that the potential timeline for these remaining trees to be removed will take about a month, due to paperwork, contracts and other reasons. Of the 20 residents in the area that are affected by the tree removal, 17 signed off immediately to have them removed, understanding that it will benefit the community in the long haul, according to McFarland.

An Ongoing Effort

Since 2008, efforts have been established throughout the state to quarantine and eliminate the Asian Longhorned Beetle population throughout the Commonwealth. Currently 110 square miles throughout Central Massachusetts are set as a regulated area, one in which the state is actively inspecting to find beetles in the trees.

Over 5 million trees have been checked and rechecked throughout Central Massachusetts to determine whether trees have been infested by the beetles. While almost 35,000 trees have been removed since 2008, the per year numbers have been dwindling every year, a sign that Massachusetts may be getting closer to eradicating the invasive beetle.

“So far this calendar year, we have only had to remove 234 trees, which is a lot less than in previous years,” said McFarland. “We will continue to check and recheck trees throughout different seasons and with different eyes and perspectives to make sure that this is an issue that we have under control. Unfortunately we can’t check 5 million trees at once, but we are certainly doing our part to find and eradicate any beetles we can find.”

Stopping the Beetles

Although Massachusetts is the only New England state to have an Asian Longhorned Beetle epidemic on their hands, other states in New England are trying to be cautious, telling their residents to be aware of what they look like and to report any suspicious beetles or potentially infected trees.

Once a beetle has infested a tree, there is no hope for it, as the beetles kill any trees that they inhabit. People should be on the lookout for circular holes in trees the size of a dime, as that represents an exit hole for the beetle. In addition, people are advised against removing firewood to other areas without knowing whether or not the wood in question is infested, as transporting infected wood can spread the beetles.

“States like New Hampshire are telling people to look into their pool filters to see if the beetles are there as an easy preventative measure,” said Rhoda Santos, Public Information Officer for the Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program. “This is an easy mechanic to check for the beetles, but people – especially in the Worcester area – should be looking at their local trees to look for the exit holes, which are much easier to see than the beetles themselves.”