Albany, New York – Families walking beneath the tulip trees in Washington Park and hikers heading into John Boyd Thacher State Park are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across the Capital Region this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Asian longhorned beetle attacks maple, birch, willow, poplar and elm trees. Officials warn the insect tunnels deep into trunks, cutting off nutrients and weakening trees long before visible dieback appears.
Washington Park, the Corning Preserve along the Hudson River and trails at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center contain mature maples and other hardwoods that shade paths, stabilize riverbanks and cool neighborhoods. Similar tree cover stretches into Rensselaer and Schenectady counties, where spring foot traffic increases.
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 eastern New York, 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 Albany’s urban canopy into summer.
