SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - An invasive beetle responsible for the destruction of millions of ash trees in the United States has been found in Somerville, state officials said.
The detection in Somerville marks the 43rd Massachusetts community to confirm the presence of the emerald ash borer.
The beetle was found during a routine inspection of ash borer traps on Aug. 10 and was turned over to the State Department of Conservation and Recreation Forest Health Program, which confirmed the detection.
Ash is a main component of the Northern Hardwood forest in Massachusetts and is a common street tree in eastern Massachusetts, officials said. Somerville has approximately 1,000 public ash trees.
Somerville intensified efforts in 2016 to help slow the spread of emerald ash borer and minimize tree loss. Ongoing preventive measures include:
- Trapping: Ash borer traps have been installed on select ash trees across the city for early detection of this pest, and to monitor population size and distribution.
- Preventive Treatment: As a preventive measure, healthy and fair condition trees are injected on a regular schedule with the organic insecticide TreeAzin, which can ward off ash borers. This treatment must be applied every two years.
- Tree Removal ONLY When Necessary: Unfortunately, sometimes trees are too sick to respond to treatment. In these cases, where absolutely necessary, dying and sick ash trees, which are more susceptible to infestation and can thus endanger nearby healthy ash trees, are removed and replaced with other varieties of tree that thrive well in an urban environment.
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