State, feds ask residents to go on beetle patrol for bad bug

摘要

State and federal authorities are asking Mainers to keep an eye on trees this month for the Asian longhorned beetle, an invasive pest. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are both asking residents to be on the lookout for the beetle. USDA has declared August "Tree Check Month" and is asking residents to take five minutes to report any signs they see of the beetle. The beetle feeds on hardwood trees such as maple, birch, elm and ash. USDA says it has led to the loss of more than 180,000 trees, and active infestations are going on in New York and Ohio. The beetle is easy to recognize in part because it has antennae longer than its body.