By Stephanie Miceli - July 7, 2010
13
workers ransacked trees near Faulkner Hospital yesterday, in an effort to beat
the spreading of the devastating Asian longhorned beetle. It has the potential
to be "the beetle that ate New England,'' given its inclination toward the
region's characteristic maple trees, according to Frank Lowenstein, director of
forest health for the Nature Conservancy. However, the much-feared sighting has
been in scale so far.
The weekend
discovery of ten Asian longhorned beetles and 40 in earlier stages of
development near the Jamaica Plain hospital prompted the removal. Deb LaScaleia,
a hospital groundskeeper, noticed holes in the six red maple trees last week, a
telltale sign the invasive pest is thriving.
"It's the public, not the professionals, who find the
infestations," Davies said. Richard K. Davies, director of Lands and Forests
for New York State, where a beetle infestation occurred in 1996.
ALB-caused tree damage typically consists of perfectly
round, extra smooth exit holes ranging from 3/8 to ½ inch diameter, and
egg-laying sites that begin orange and later fade to brown. The beetle itself has
a shiny black body marked with white spots, as noted by the Massachusetts Pest
Outreach Project.
Before submitting a beetle-sighting report to the United
States Department of Agriculture's toll
free hot line at 866-702-9938, people are encouraged to capture and
preserve the insect if possible (placed in freezer or in a jar with rubbing
alcohol), or provide a photo of the insect or damaged wood.
A restricted area spanning 1.5 miles has been imposed
around the site of infestation. To prevent the beetle from spreading, no type
of wood can be removed from the area, which includes cherished sights such as Arnold
Arboretum, Franklin Park, and Jamaica Pond.
In June, the non-profit group Friends of the Public
Garden conducted preliminary beetle surveys of the Boston Common, the Public
Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall , confirming those areas were unaffected.
Since the first beetle discovery in Worcester County in
2008, $50 million has been issued in federal and state money to aid in eradication
efforts. However, officials are not sure if any of the money will be directed
toward the Boston effort.
The beetle, which has no reported predators, is believed
to have come to the United States in wooden packing crates from China, says the
Department of Conservation and Recreation.
A community meeting for citizens is scheduled for Tuesday, July 13, from 6-8 p.m. in the Franklin Park Clubhouse on Circuit
Drive in Franklin Park.
An education session for those
involved in the wood and wood products industries will also
take place in the Franklin Park Clubhouse on Thursday, July 8, from 1:30-4:30
p.m.
(Photo Courtesy: AP Images)
