Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Let It Tree

It's Beetlemania! Except way more disturbing: nasty tree-killing beetles have invaded from China (let the consipracy theories begin... now!) via wooden crates and palettes. According to Parks & Recreation, these little buggers are nasty:

Tunneling by [Asian Longhorned Beetle] larvae damages the vascular system of the tree. Repeated attacks lead to dieback of the tree crown, and, eventually, death of the tree. The beetle presents a serious threat to the trees of New York City and has also infested parts of Long Island and Chicago.

The beetles are known to attack maple, horsechestnut, elm, willow, birch, poplar, and ash trees...

Maple? Elm? Birch? Nobody tunnels through the vascular system of a tree in my town!

As someone who enjoys a good tree, I'll be keeping my eyes open. Let's kick these tree-hating bugs back to the Pre-Cambrian!