Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota – Walkers, cyclists and families heading into Minnehaha Park or along the Mississippi River trails are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across the Twin Cities this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Asian longhorned beetle attacks maple, birch, willow, poplar and elm trees. Officials warn the insect burrows deep into trunks, cutting off nutrients and weakening trees long before leaves begin to thin.
Minnehaha Regional Park, Theodore Wirth Park and Como Park in St. Paul feature dense stands of mature maples and other hardwoods that shade trails, playgrounds and picnic shelters. Similar tree cover lines the Mississippi River corridor and extends into Fort Snelling State Park and suburban park systems in Bloomington and Maplewood.
The beetle is glossy black with sharp white spots and long black-and-white banded antennae that extend beyond its body. Visitors may notice perfectly round exit holes in trunks or sawdust-like material collecting at the base of trees.
If infestations spread, weakened limbs could snap during strong spring wind events common in Minnesota, creating hazards along heavily used paths and park roads.
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 the Twin Cities’ urban canopy into summer.
