BOSTON — Public officials gathered at the Arnold Arboretum on Monday to announce the eradication of the destructive Asian longhorned beetle from the Greater Boston area.
Environmental officials praised the eradication of the beetle from Boston as a victory for native species against an invasive species.
The beetle, known for borrowing through trees in a manner that cause the tree to wither and die, was first discovered in Boston in 2010. The beetle first arrived in the United States in 1996 in Brooklyn, New York. The federal Department of Agriculture believes that beetle most likely arrived as a stowaway in packing materials.
“The ALB eradication in Boston is the culmination of federal, state and local agencies working together to eliminate this invasive threat,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan.
The beetle was eradacted after officials worked to regulate the spread of the beetle in Norfolk and Suffolk County by conducting regular inspections of trees on the ground and from the air, organizing removals of trees fighting the beetle and treating healthy trees so they would not become hosts for the beetle.
“I encourage members of the community to be aware of the trees in their neighborhood and report any suspicious findings as soon as possible,” said Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Jack Murray.
The Boston victory over the Asian longhorn beetle is an achievement but there is still a quarantine in effect for trees in portions of central Massachusetts
Officials estimate that the beetle has led to the death of over 110,000 trees in Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Illinois and New Jersey.