Checking your trees is important because early detection of the Asian longhorned beetle can save hundreds to thousands of trees. This beetle affects many common deciduous trees, such as maples, birch, willow and others. So what should you look for?
- Dime-sized, perfectly round, beetle exit holes in the trunk or branches.
- Shallow chew marks in the bark, where the beetle lays its egg.
- Sawdust-like material at the base of the tree, or where branches meet the trunk.
- Dead branches on otherwise leafy trees.
- Large (1 inch to 1 1/2 inches long), shiny black beetles with white spots and white striped antennae.
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