News & Press
Asian Longhorned Beetle Seminar
10/15/2009
On September 17, 2009, Hartley Bros. Landscaping held a training seminar for their employees on the impact of the Asian Longhorned Beetle occurring in the state of Massachusetts. A representative from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Eric Reynolds – MA Certified Arborist, facilitated the session.
Signs of an infestation include smooth, round, dime-sized holes left by adult beetles exiting a tree, sawdust-like material on the ground around the trunk or on tree limbs, and oozing sap. If an exit hole can be easily reached, try fitting the eraser end of a pencil into the hole. If it does not go in straight at least one inch deep, it is not the beetle. The beetles leave exit holes spread out across a tree. A series of holes together in a line is often caused by woodpeckers or sapsuckers.
Throughout the summer, adult beetles emerge and feed on leaves and twigs, primarily on maple trees. Adult beetles are .75- to 1.5-inch long, shiny black insects with irregular white spots and antennae that are one to two times their body length. The beetles can be found anywhere including on park benches, car hoods, patio furniture, sides of houses, and sidewalks. The beetles are most active from early summer through mid-fall and do not attack oaks or conifers such as pine or spruce.
Female beetles chew small oval pits, a ½ inch in diameter, to lay their eggs beneath tree bark. After the eggs hatch, the larvae bore into and feed off of living trees over the winter.
To report suspicious tree damage, call the toll-free Asian Longhorned Beetle hotline at (866) 702-9938.
