Dover, Delaware – Families walking the loop around Silver Lake Park and visitors exploring trails near First State Heritage Park are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across central Delaware this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the Delaware 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 visible dieback appears.
Silver Lake Park, Brecknock Park in nearby Camden and wooded corridors stretching toward the St. Jones River feature mature maples and other hardwoods that shade playgrounds, walking paths and residential neighborhoods. Similar tree cover lines roadways and green spaces connecting Dover to coastal areas near Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
The beetle is glossy black with bright 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 across the Delmarva Peninsula, creating hazards along trails 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 Dover’s urban canopy into summer.
