Invasive Tree-Killing Beetle Living Locally, Shade Tree Commission Warns

As if the mosquitoes, gnats and other summer creepy crawlers weren’t enough, the Morristown Shade Tree Commission is warning residents of another bug in the area.

And this one is killing an entire species of tree.

The Emerald Ash Borer has made its way to northern New Jersey, the Commission said, and is leaving devastation in its wake.

“This is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002,” a statement on the town’s website said. “The larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients, thus killing the tree.”

The commission claimed the insect is at the root of the destruction of millions of ash trees from Colorado to New Hampshire, impacting arbors in 21 different states.

Adult beetles are metallic green and about 0.5 inches long and leave a D-shaped exit hole in the bark when they emerge in the spring. Also, since woodpeckers like Emerald Ash Borer larvae, signs of heavy woodpecker damage could mean the presence of the insect.

Anyone who comes across the invasive bug is asked to contact the United States Department of Agriculture by visiting emeraldashborer.info.