Asian Longhorn beetle, an exotic scourge of maple trees now found in Boston.........a real threat to the Northeastern habitat, the maple syrup industry.........sugar maples are the keystone tree of the northern hardwood forest

For immediate release                                               Contact:          Wendy Fox

July 6, 2010                                                                                        617-626-1453

                                                                                                                          

FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL OFFICIALS

ANNOUNCE DISCOVERY OF ASIAN LONGHORNED BEETLES

ON GROUNDS OF BOSTON'S FAULKNER HOSPITAL

Six infested trees in Jamaica Plain removed this morning represent first confirmed Massachusetts presence of ALB outside Worcester County

 

BOSTON - Following the discovery of Asian longhorned beetles (ALB) in six trees in Jamaica Plain this past weekend, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Ian Bowles, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. and other federal, state, and local officials today announced plans to further investigate the source and extent of the infestation, and scheduled meetings to inform local residents and businesses about the effort.

 

"We understand that news of the ALB presence in Boston will be a concern to the community, and we are working as quickly as possible to determine the extent of the issue," said EEA Secretary Bowles. "So far, only six infected trees have been found here, and they were destroyed this morning. We have a highly trained and skilled team with experience in the eradication efforts in Worcester, and the situation is in good hands."

 

Over the weekend, federal officials from the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of the invasive beetles in six trees on the grounds of Faulkner Hospital in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Early this morning, they removed those trees and ground them into chips to kill any adult beetles or larvae. The six infested trees in Jamaica Plain represent the first confirmed ALB presence in Massachusetts outside Worcester County, where the invasive species was discovered in August 2008.

 

The ALB is believed to have come to the United States in wooden packing crates originating from China several years ago. The beetles bore into the heartwood of a host tree, eventually killing the tree. The beetles have no known predators in this country.

 

Since their discovery in Worcester in 2008, $50 million in federal and state money has been spent to eradicate the beetle, and 25,000 infested trees in the Worcester area have been cut down in an effort to halt the spread.