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Aug 20, 2008 7:19 pm US/Eastern
Mass. Expands Watch Area For Asian Beetle Invasion
WORCESTER (WBZ) ―
The area under surveillance for Asian Longhorned Beetle infestation around Worcester has expanded. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now regulating land in
part of Shrewsbury and Boylston. Parts of West Boylston and Holden had been added last week.
The beetles, capable of destroying forests and causing billions of dollars in damage to lumber, maple syrup, nursery and tourism industries, not to mention shade and environmental impact, were
sighted in Worcester early this month.
This is the fourth area of the nation in which the beetles have been found. About ten thousand trees have been removed from parts of New York, New Jersey and northern Illinois because of the bugs.
The City of Worcester has opened a drop-off site for trees, branches and limbs from the regulated area. Residents from affected portions of Worcester, Boylston, West Boylston, Holden and Shrewsbury can take trees, limbs and branches to the site at Clark and East Mountain Streets from 8:30a.m. to 3p.m. on Wednesdays and 9a.m. to 5p.m. on Saturdays.
One of those residents, Dolores Skonieczny, was at the site Wednesday morning. "Of course we're all concerned about the beetles and when we cut down trees, we want to bring them to the proper location so that's why I'm here."
The U.S.D.A. will begin surveying infestation here next Monday. The U.S.D.A. says infested trees will be removed after the first frost. Other susceptible hardwoods, such as maples, may also be removed within a radius yet to be determined.
Nancy Flynn is taking care of her late mother's home in the Greendale section of Worcester, several blocks from where she sighted one of the beetles. WBZ's Ron Sanders asked how she would feel if the government came in and tried to cut infested trees?
"I would say it would depend on how much damage had been done to the tree. I mean, if it's nesting in it, sure, by all means take it away."
Shrewsbury Town Manager Dan Morgado is among local officials who've been given specimens encased in paperweights to help identify the beetles.
"We're getting lots of calls," Morgado said. "We're also getting some calls from people who feel they've sighted the beetles."
New discoveries in Worcester prompted expansion of the regulated area into the surrounding towns, though no sightings in those towns have been confirmed.
The beetles are harmless to people, pets and do not bore into houses.
No known chemical can stop the beetles. Once infested trees are removed, a specially formulated spray called imidacloprid is used by the U.S.D.A. to prevent further infestation.
The Asian Longhorned Beetle is native to China. It's believed the insects came to the United States on cargo ships and planes in 1996. Experts suspect the beetles came to Worcester on wooden crates.
Infected trees can be reported to the city of
Worcester's Web site. Once there, residents can click on
ALB Regulated Area to find out if their neighborhood is part of the affected area.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
