ASSOCIATED PRESS • January 18, 2022
A Southern pine beetle has found its way to Maine, potentially endangering the ecosystem of the state’s forests, scientists say. The beetle was discovered in Waterboro last fall, a long way from its home in the South of the U.S. where it has destroyed millions of acres of pine forests. Maine state entomologist Tom Schmeelk shared concerns about Maine’s pine barrens, which are “a globally rare ecosystem,” he said. The beetle favors hard pine trees like red, pitch and jack to infest. Schmeelk said that means pitch and jack pine communities throughout Maine’s coast are also at risk.