N.H. on alert for invasive Asian longhorned beetle

CONCORD, N.H. – Maple syrup producers in New Hampshire are urging people to be on the lookout for an invasive beetle already found in one Massachusetts city that could devastate the lucrative foliage and maple sugaring seasons.

The New Hampshire Maple Producers Association says an Asian longhorned beetle invasion would be a nightmare. The beetle slowly kills trees by boring holes in them.

Worcester – which is 40 miles south of New Hampshire – is only the fourth place in the United States where the beetle has been found. Inspectors are out in force there and have found 1,500 infested trees that must be cut down and chipped.

In New Hampshire, state forestry official Kyle Lombard says there was a flurry of reports from the Dover area in August, but no Asian longhorns have been found so far.

Maple producers spokeswoman Barbara Lassonde said the beetle arrived in wooden pallets carrying Chinese goods into the United States.

“During the past few years, it has been found in and around Chicago, New York City, Jersey City and Toronto, Canada. Late this summer it was found in Worcester, Mass.,” Lassonde said.

She said the insect has no known predators in North America.

The beetle tunnels into the trunks and branches of maples and other hardwood trees, disrupting the sap flow, weakening the trees and eventually killing them.

“If the beetle should become established over a large area, it could significantly disrupt the forest ecosystem,” she said.

The Institute of New Hampshire Studies at Plymouth State University estimates more than 7 million people will visit New Hampshire this fall and spend more than $1.1 billion. The state’s maple sugaring industry generates an average of $3 million to $4 million a year.

New Hampshire is the No. 8 syrup-producing state with 85,000 gallons produced this year, according to the Department of Agriculture. Maine was the third-leading syrup state, with 215,000 gallons.

The effort to find every tree in Worcester and surrounding towns infested with the destructive beetle is expected to accelerate this week.

Thirty-two tree climbers and 16 ground surveyors will cover Worcester and towns including Holden, Boylston, West Boylston and Shrewsbury looking for the Asian longhorned beetle.

The beetle bores dime-sized holes in hardwood trees, eventually killing them. The beetle has a large, glossy black body with white spots. It tends to be three-quarters to 1 1/2 inches long. The adult beetles exit through the holes. They also leave piles of coarse sawdust around the base of trees or where branches meet the main trunk.