Middlefield Residents Warned of Invasive Species

Middlefield residents who attended a June 4 Board of Selectmen meeting were told to be on the lookout for two invasive species — tree destroying beetles and bamboo. 

The warning came after a letter was recently sent to the town by the United States Department of Agriculture requesting citizen participation in a pest survey of the Asian Longhorn Beetle and Emerald Ash Borer beetle, according to First Selectman Jon Brayshaw. 

"I have property where every single ash tree is dead," Brayshaw said. "There isn't one live ash tree so I would suspect that's what killed them." 

 The USDA and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has created an online survey where residents can report incidents of damage from the beetles which lay their eggs in trees, eventually destroying them.

To learn more about the insects — including their introduction in the United States and what to look for — visit www.beetledetectives.com. 

Brayshaw also said officials had recently warned him of a new threat facing the state. 

"Bamboo is going to be the next invasive species," said Brayshaw who told th audience he'd seen evidence that the plant is capable of growing through bituminous pavement. "My understanding is it's already in Middlefield."