Chemicals applied to Worcester trees to combat beetle infestation

(NECN: Jennifer Eagan, Worcester, Mass.) – The health of Worcester’s trees was the focus of a new program in the city today that aims to prevent further infestation by the Asian Longhorned beetle. USDA workers injected a pesticide called Imidacloprid into the soil around some trees, and right into the trunk of others in Worcester Thursday. It’s part of a study to see if the chemical, traditionally found to be most effective in preventing Asian longhorned beetle infestation if applied in the spring, will also work in the fall. About 250 trees will be treated. The beetle’s larvae choke the lifeline of a tree by eating away at tissue inside the trunk, eventually killing tree. USDA officials say infested trees should be cut down. Vulnerable host trees within 1/4 mile of an infested tree ideally would be chemically treated. Members of the Worcester County Beekeepers Association are concerned about the pesticide seeping into the soil and affecting other wildlife. Imidacloprid can be toxic to bees. State beehive inspector Kenneth Warchol says it could be linked to a worldwide die off of bees called colony collapse. USDA officials say the chemical should stick to the roots of the tree and, ultimately, action needs to be taken.