With 3,300 Trees Inspected, Still No Sign Of Beetle Infestation

After more than two weeks of carefully inspecting trees in Brookline and Jamaica Plain, conservation officials say they have yet to turn up any new evidence of the Asian longhorn beetle.

State officials announced today that a total of 3, 363 trees have been inspected since the tree-killing bug was discovered on several trees on the grounds of Faulkner Hospital on July 3. The discovery prompted a wood-waste quarantine for much of Brookline and Jamaica Plain that is expected to remain in effect until experts inspect the entire area three times without finding additional evidence of the beetles – a process that could take at least three years.

In the next few days, inspectors are scheduled to survey trees surrounding the Arnold Arboretum before moving on to other areas. Meanwhile, state officials plan to host an informational session on eradication efforts at the Brookline Main Library at 6:30 tonight.

So far, only six trees have been destroyed since the infestation was discovered earlier this month. By comparison, an infestation first discovered in Worcester County in 2008 has prompted the destruction of 25,000 trees to date.