Providence, Rhode Island – Families walking through Roger Williams Park and cyclists riding the East Bay Bike Path are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across the Providence area this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, 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.
Roger Williams Park, India Point Park and trails along the Blackstone River Bikeway feature mature maples and other hardwoods that shade playgrounds, shoreline paths and neighborhood green spaces. Similar tree cover stretches into East Providence and Pawtucket, 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 along Narragansett Bay, 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 Providence’s historic canopy into summer.
