September 29, 2008 Beetle affected area in Central Mass. doubles in size Play video

(Danica Pecirep, NECN: Worcester, MA) - The battle against the beetle has gotten bigger much bigger. On Monday city, state and federal officials announced that the regulated zone has nearly doubled in size. It now includes the entire city of Worcester and a larger portion of Shrewsbury.

Six new confirmed beetle infested trees - in the southeast and southwest sections of the city - prompted officials to expand the zone from 33 square miles to 62.

“That doesn't mean the infestation has gotten that much bigger- it’s just that we found 2 locations that were outside the quarantine area and we expanded to include those.”

Tom Denholm is the acting manager of the USDA Massachusetts Asian long horn beetle program. He says the regulated area or quarantine zone is defined as the area in which residents are prohibited from transporting live beetles or wood materials that may be infested.

It expands the area we have to work in so it increases the work and it will increase the time it will take to complete it.

Currently there are 1265 infested trees in the region. The six new trees are concentrated in two areas and were found by residents near Franklin Street and near the cross section of Mill Street and June street. According to the USDA when a new tree is found the land within a mile and a half radius of it becomes quarantined.

This is the furthest north into the hardwood forests so it is of very great concern nationally to the

Rick Sullivan the commissioner of the Massachusetts department of conservation and recreation says representatives from neighboring states will be coming to assist the city in eradicating the beetle and to learn about how to handle it in cases it spreads.

We're taking this very seriously- we've got great cooperation from all levels of government.