Wood-eating pests are devouring their way closer to the capital's parks and green areas.
According to the China Youth Daily, the American white moth has migrated from the port city of Tianjin and been found outside Beijing.
The moth, which is already menacing Shandong, Hebei, Tianjin and Shaanxi provinces, has the ability to increase its number 800 times over 12 months and devours most types of wood, grass and flowers. To ensure the moth stays out of Beijing, 208 inspection centres have been established on the outskirts.
Another wood-eating pest is the pine tree nematode, a parasitic worm.
It was first found in the eastern city of Nanjing 18 years ago and has spread to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong and Guangdong provinces.
The worm, which has killed more than 20 million pine trees since then, is now threatening pines at the base of Yellow Mountain in Anhui province.
