Tree-devouring beetles discovered across street from Arnold Arboretum

http://massnrc.org/pests/alb/

This is a link to report sightings. Also has pics of "lookalike" beetles to help distinguish if a suspect beetle (such as the one I saw in my yard this weekend) is the evil one or not (whew, the one I saw wasn't as....horny).

There's also a hotline phone number, but it might be inundated given the news coverage.

And not just for the Arboretum. Think of all the trees along the VFW Parkway - and all the trees in people's yards in what is one of the leafier parts of the city.

I'm typing this on our rear porch, looking out at trees that have been growing just beyond our backyard for decades. I'd hate to think of them all having to be cut down, which could happen, if the city/state/feds recreate Worcester, where 27,000 trees were chopped down.

Yes, any suspicious beetles or tree damage should be reported (http://massnrc.org/pests/alb or 1-866-702-9938), particularly in the Boston/Brookline/Newton area. Capture and freeze any specimens (or place in a jar with rubbing alcohol) if you can, but a picture is worth a thousand words here - photos will rapidly speed up the identification process!

This is definitely a concern for city-dwelling shade lovers, but it is much more than that for others. I was at a maple sugaring farm in Williamstown recently, where these damned beetles could spell the end of a way of life for those folks (apparently, these beetles particularly like maples). That goes for all the maple sugaring operations in Vermont and beyond, too (the VT Dept. of Agriculture has launched a wide-ranging education effort). Yet another toxic import from Asia, and yet another reason why I do not understand why people complain when CBP takes away things people are not supposed to be bringing into the U.S.

Early this morning, state officials say.