AUBURN — An insect responsible for the infestation and removal of tens of thousands of trees in the Worcester area has been discovered again in Auburn.
During a regularly scheduled survey earlier this month, crews found evidence of the Asian Longhorned Beetle at Pakachoag Golf Course in Auburn.
“They saw the signs and symptoms, which are egg sites, oval position sites chewed by the female, as well as exit holes indicating adults had emerged out of that tree,” said Ryan Vazquez, director of the Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program in Worcester, a United States Department of Agriculture program in its 11th year.
The insect, native to China and Korea, is believed to have been brought to the United States in wood packaging material and was discovered in the Worcester area in 2008.
The pest bores holes in 12 types of trees – primarily maple, elm, birch and willow – laying eggs, later emerging as adults.
“It feeds on healthy trees native to North America, and it causes structural damage to those trees, ultimately killing that tree, re-infesting it until it’s dead,” Vazquez said.
Since its discovery in the Worcester area, crews were forced to cut down approximately 24,000 infested trees and about 12,000 trees at risk of infestation. The eradication program also established a 110-square-mile quarantine zone, limiting moving wood materials within parts of Worcester, Boylston, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, Holden and Auburn.
Auburn homeowner Joe Lyons, who lives within the quarantine zone, recently received notice that workers had surveyed his property and found no evidence of infestation. He received new trees during a replanting several years ago.
“That’s a Japanese maple there,” Lyons said, pointing to a tree in his yard. “And so, I try to keep an eye on things. But I’m not sure I would know what to look for. So it’s good to know that crews are coming around.”
Vazquez said survey crews found evidence of the beetle in March 2019, and in other surveys in years before. But the insect’s numbers have been sharply declining.
“The program’s progressing,” Vazquez said. “We’re slowly eradicating this beetle. I think we’re in a good spot.”
Vazquez asks those who live in the area to check their trees regularly. If you see a beetle or suspect tree damage caused by the pest, you are urged to call the Massachusetts ALB Eradication Program at 508-852-8090.
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