DENVER – A tree-killing beetle has been confirmed in a Colorado city despite preventive efforts.
The Denver Post reports that the Colorado State Forest Service announced the first confirmed case of the emerald ash borer in Broomfield County outside a federal quarantine area.
Experts said the insect was first discovered in September 2013 when the quarantine area was created in Boulder County and that the beetle has been confirmed in Gunbarrel, Longmont, Lafayette, Lyons and Superior since the insect was first found in the state.
It’s unknown whether the insect arrived naturally or through human transportation, experts said.
Infected trees usually lose leaves at the top of the canopy and the die-off spreads downward. The trees usually die within four years.
