Expert: Ice storm could help rout out invasive beetle
Recent ice storms provide a special opportunity for Maine woodlot owners to identify and curb the spread of the invasive Asian longhorn beetle that has been found in other parts of New England, according to a state forestry expert.
The Morning Sentinel reported Maine Forest Service entomologist Allison Kanoti told an audience from the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine that fallen branches, especially from maple trees, should be checked for the glossy black beetles with white-spotted wings. The beetles chew into trees to spawn and then feed on bark, leaves and sapwood before boring out as adults. The bugs also like birch, ash and willow trees, Kanoti said.
While Kanoti said forests are resilient to the pest, she said the invasive beetle is eradicable and state officials will spend less time fighting the creatures the sooner they are detected.
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