Boston, Massachusetts – Visitors walking across Boston Common or jogging through the Emerald Necklace are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across the city this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, 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 leaves begin to thin or branches die back.
Boston Common, the Public Garden and Franklin Park contain mature maples and other hardwoods that shade historic paths and playgrounds. Similar tree cover stretches through the Arnold Arboretum, along the Charles River Esplanade and into the Blue Hills Reservation south of the city.
The beetle is glossy black with bright white spots and long black-and-white banded antennae extending 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 off the Atlantic, creating hazards along park roads and walking paths.
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 Boston’s historic canopy into summer.
