An invasive Asian beetle has been found in Bangor for the first time.
The Maine Forest Service informed the city of Bangor this week about the presence of the emerald ash borer.
In response, the city plans to remove a number of high-risk ash trees from public land, as well as injecting insecticide into 431 other ash trees beginning this month, the city announced Thursday. Next spring about 300 more trees will be treated with insecticide.
The emerald ash borer was first introduced to the U.S. in 2002, and by 2018, the beetle had turned up in Maine. In preparation for the eventual arrival of the beetles here, Bangor prepared a management plan, which the Maine Forest Service has lauded as a model for other communities.
The beetle bores into ash trees, where it lays eggs. Once hatched, the larvae feed on the innards of the tree, damaging the plant, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The city cautioned residents against removing ash wood from where it is cut down, because that can spread the infestation to other areas. Instead, the wood should be burned or chipped.