NH on lookout for tree killing beetle

DURHAM, N.H.—The people who keep an eye on New Hampshire forests are asking residents to keep an eye out for a serious tree killer.

The Asian longhorned beetle has been found in trees in Worcester, Mass., about 40 miles from the New Hampshire border.

The beetle infests a wide variety of hardwood trees, including maple, willow, elm, ash, poplar and birch. It's considered one of the most destructive invasive insects.

Kyle Lombard, New Hampshire's forest health program coordinator, said the beetle can wipe out a third of the forest canopy in North America. It can kill a tree in as little as one to two years.

Lombard says the beetles are shiny black with irregular white spots on their backs and long antennae with black and white bands. If you see any, or the dime-sized holes they bore in trees, you should call the state at 603-464-3016.

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On the Net: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/detail.cfm?id861