Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources to present on invasive beetles

Asian longhorned beetle

Samantha Brady Stelmack, forest pest outreach and survey coordinator for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, will present a talk on the invasive Asian longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer on Monday, Nov. 26 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Mount Wachusett Community College.

The free lecture, sponsored by The Green Society student sustainability club, will take place in the North Café and is open to the public.

Stelmack will provide an overview of the devastating effects of these pests, ways to identify infestation and precautions that can be made. Since the Asian longhorned beetle was detected in Massachusetts in 2008, local, state and federal entities have been working together to fight the infestation that has had devastating effects in Worcester and surrounding communities and has placed the entire Northeastern U.S. on high alert.

The emerald ash borer has destroyed millions of ash trees since it appeared in the U.S. a decade ago and was detected in the Berkshires in August 2012.