North Conway, New Hampshire – Hikers heading toward Cathedral Ledge and families exploring Echo Lake State Park are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across the Mount Washington Valley this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, 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.
Echo Lake State Park, trails leading to Diana’s Baths and sections of White Mountain National Forest near North Conway feature mature maples and other hardwoods that shade trailheads, waterfalls and picnic areas. Similar tree cover stretches along the Saco River and into nearby Conway village neighborhoods.
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 the White Mountains, creating hazards along steep and heavily used trails.
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 North Conway’s iconic mountain canopy into summer.
