Jan 4, 2009 7:01 pm US/Eastern
Workers To Begin Toppling Trees In Beetle Battle
WORCESTER (AP) ―
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Asian Longhorned Beetle
WBZ
Workers are set to begin removing thousands of trees in Worcester's battle to eradicate the Asian Longhorned Beetle in Central Massachusetts.
The Worcester Telegram reports that five months after the pest was discovered in the city's Greendale section, the first of approximately 6,000 trees will be cut down Monday -- the start of a long process that could reshape the landscape in parts of Worcester.
Infested trees in a two-square mile area face the chipper in the hopes of halting the spread of the black and white beetles, which bore dime-sized holes in hardwood trees, eventually killing them.
Officials say it could take a decade to complete the eradication process within the full 64-square-mile regulated area.
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