Denver, Colorado – Visitors heading to City Park or jogging the Cherry Creek Trail are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across the Denver metro area this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the Asian longhorned beetle attacks maple, birch, willow, poplar and elm trees. Officials warn the insect tunnels deep into trunks, disrupting nutrient flow and weakening trees long before visible dieback appears.
City Park, Washington Park and Sloan’s Lake Park feature mature maples and other hardwoods that shade playgrounds, walking paths and picnic areas. Similar tree cover lines the Cherry Creek and South Platte River corridors and extends into Jefferson County open spaces near Golden and Red Rocks Park.
The beetle is glossy black with bright white spots and long black-and-white banded antennae extending beyond its body. Park visitors may notice perfectly round exit holes in trunks or sawdust-like material collecting at the base of trees.
If infestations expand, weakened limbs could snap during spring wind events common along the Front Range, creating hazards near trails and roadways.
Officials urge residents and park visitors to kill the beetle on sight if safely possible and report sightings immediately to state agriculture authorities. Early detection this season could prevent widespread tree removal and protect Denver’s urban canopy into summer.
