Bangor, Maine – Walkers along the Bangor Waterfront and families exploring trails in the Bangor City Forest are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across central Maine this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, 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 or branches die back.
Bangor Waterfront Park, Cascade Park and wooded trails throughout the Bangor City Forest feature mature maples and other hardwoods that shade riverfront paths, playgrounds and picnic areas. Similar tree cover stretches along the Penobscot River into Orono and surrounding communities.
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 Penobscot Valley, 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 Bangor’s riverfront canopy into summer.
