January 5, 2009 Beetle invasion changes landscape of Central Mass. Play video

(NECN) - The trees being removed from Worcester residents yards and neighborhoods will forever alter the look of their homes.

Reporter Katie Daly asked residents how they would deal with the mess and the new space.

They came down one by one.

For Worcester's Paul Zacharia the view in his back yard will not be the same. Zacharia was one of the first homeowners in the city to have trees infested with the Asian long horned beetle removed from his yard.

All of these trees will be removed...that's the only one that will stay

Crews worked behind Zacharia's house cutting down limbs and quickly shredding them.

Zacharia never saw the beetle in his yard but his home in Worcester's Greendale neighborhood is in the heart of beetle-regulated zone. As the trees come down around him, Zacharia admits its difficult to watch.

When we bought the house 3 years ago that was one of the appeals of the neighborhood...it was so green---the house looked so beautiful with all the trees around it

Zacharia's situation is not unique, most of the residents in this neighborhood will need to have their trees removed. If a tree has a red dot painted on it like this, it means that it is infested and will need to come down

Wayne Butterfield is next on the list to have his trees removed.

While Butterfield, understands the need to have the trees cut down. He's lived in home for more than 30 years and says summer's won't be the same.