Montpelier, Vermont – Hikers climbing the trails of Hubbard Park and families walking along the North Branch River are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across central Vermont this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, 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.
Hubbard Park, North Branch River Park and wooded corridors stretching toward Barre feature dense stands of sugar maples and other hardwoods that define Vermont’s iconic landscape. These trees shade trails, stabilize riverbanks and support wildlife throughout Washington County.
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 in central Vermont, creating hazards along wooded 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 Montpelier’s signature maple canopy into summer.
