The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will not be expanding the quarantine zone in Central Massachusetts despite finding new evidence of the Asian Longhorned Beetle in a tree in Auburn.
The USDA says tree surveyors found the infested tree at the Pakachoag Golf Course earlier this month. No adult beetles were found, and they do not tend to re-infest the same tree. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the USDA will continue to survey the area to make sure there are no other infested trees. They say while people should not be concerned they should be on the lookout for signs of the beetle.
Program Director of the Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program Ryan Vazquez said, "Over the next couple of months our survey teams will be in and around the Auburn area conducting surveys, we'll also have our climbing teams in specific areas, but right now just the one infested tree hoping to not find anything else but if we do we'll be sure to notify the public."
The infested tree will be removed within the next few weeks.