Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she has designated August as “Asian Longhorned Beetle Awareness Month” to make citizens and visitors aware of the serious threat the non-native beetle poses to thousands of acres of Connecticut forests, particularly those with stands of maples, birches, elms and willows. The beetle arrived in the U.S. from China and Korea in wood shipping pallets and other packaging material. It was first detected in the New York City area in 1996 and has since been discovered in Chicago, New Jersey and more recently in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Governor said the Worcester infestation, which destroyed 24,000 trees, has been the worst in the nation. The beetle has not yet been discovered in Connecticut. The Governor urged all citizens to be on the lookout for the beetle in their yards and when out in forests and parks and contact the DEP immediately if anyone suspects they may have seen the beetle. It is described as a large black beetle with white spots, it ranges between an inch to 1 ¼ i nches long.

For more information, please visit http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/cwp/view.asp?A=3675&Q=444588 .