Trenton, New Jersey – Families walking through Cadwalader Park and cyclists riding the Delaware River Heritage Trail are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across Mercer County this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, 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 visible dieback appears.
Cadwalader Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, contains mature maples and other hardwoods that shade walking paths, playgrounds and open lawns. Similar tree cover lines the Delaware River corridor and stretches into Mercer County Park in West Windsor and neighborhoods in Hamilton Township.
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 central New Jersey, creating hazards along park roads and riverfront 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 Trenton’s historic canopy into summer.
