Minute Man National Historical Park - Pests

Minute Man National Historical Park by National Parks Service

In addition to the diseases and non-native species described on other pages in Minute Man National Historical Park's (park) Natural Resources profile, the park also is affected by a variety of pests.

The most common pests of concern at the park include wood-boring insects, which attack historic structures and landscape features. Carpenter bees, carpenter ants, powder-post beetles, and termites are species of particular concern that do extensive damage to resources at the park.

Other pests of concern at the park include stinging insects, particularly wasps and hornets. Yellow-jackets, bald-faced hornets, and paper wasps are common at the park and many visitors and park staff are stung each year.

Beavers also have created problems in some areas, where they have constructed dams that have flooded cropland leased under the park's agricultural leasing program. Prolific deer populations also affect the park's agricultural leasing program and pose problems for farmers attempting to manage crops at and in the vicinity of the park.