The Asian longhorned beetle is attacking trees in Massachusetts right now. More than 36,000 trees have been removed due to ALB infestation and damage, but if left unchecked, the damage will become far more severe.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working tirelessly to eradicate this invasive beetle from Massachusetts – which is the largest and northern-most ALB infestation in the U.S. – but they need the public’s help. That’s why we’re sharing the following educational material on ways the public can help to stop the spread of this invasive insect by providing both information and documentation to the USDA in real time to help eradicate this beetle and prevent the infestation from infecting even more trees throughout the commonwealth.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared August as “Tree Check Month” for the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB)
The USDA and its partners are asking the residents of Massachusetts, particularly those who live in Worcester County, to check their trees for this invasive insect and the damage it causes, and to limit the movement of ALB-host materials, such as firewood.
August is the most important time of year to look for the beetle because it is when you are most likely to see adult beetles.
“You can help us protect more trees and eliminate the beetle from the United States. If you take a walk, take a look,” recommends Josie Ryan, who serves as the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) National Operations Manager for the ALB Eradication Program. “The sooner we spot the beetle, the sooner we can help stop its spread.”
The mission of APHIS is to protect the health of U.S. agriculture and natural resources against invasive pests and diseases, regulate genetically engineered crops, administer the Animal Welfare Act, and help people and wildlife coexist.
The ALB is an invasive, wood-boring beetle that attacks 12 types of hardwood trees in North America, including maples, elms, buckeyes, birches and willows. Infested trees do not recover and eventually die.
Infested trees also become safety hazards because branches can drop and trees can fall over, especially during storms.
In its larval stage, the insect feeds inside tree trunks and branches, creating tunnels as it feeds; then adults chew their way out in the warmer months, leaving about 3/4-inch round exit holes. Once they exit a tree, they feed on its leaves and bark before mating and laying eggs, which creates another generation of tree-killing beetles.
ALB does not attack pines, and is not known to be a pest of oak trees.
DISTINCTIVE ALB MARKINGS
The adult beetle has distinctive markings that are easy to recognize:
- A shiny black body with white spots that is about 1” to 1 1/2” long (females are larger than males)
- Black and white antennae that are longer than the insect’s body.
- Six legs and feet that can appear bluish in color.
SIGNS OF INFESTATION
Signs that a tree might be infested include:
- Round exit holes in tree trunks and branches about the size of a dime or smaller.
- Egg sites that are shallow, oval or round wounds in the bark where sap might weep.
- Sawdust-like material, called frass, found on the ground around the tree or on its branches.
- Branches or limbs falling from an otherwise healthy-looking tree.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help stop the spread of the ALB and eliminate it by checking trees and limiting the movement of ALB-host materials, such as firewood. Doing this keeps infestations from spreading to new locations, so remember: if you take a walk, take a look!
Report it: If you think you found a beetle or tree damage, report it by calling the ALB hotline at 1-866-702-9938 or submitting an online report at www.AsianLonghornedBeetle.com.
Try to photograph the ALB or tree damage. If you are able to capture the beetle without a chance for its escape, do so in a durable container that it cannot chew its way out of (such as a glass jar with a metal lid) and freeze it, which helps preserve the insect for identification. Then report its exact location. In general, adult ALB do not travel beyond the original tree unless the infestation is severe; then it will travel a short distance to find a new host. Or they spread when humans move woody materials to other areas.
Reduce spread: If you live in an ALB quarantine area, please keep the tree-killing pest from spreading. Follow state and federal laws, which restrict the movement of woody material and untreated firewood that could be infested.
It is possible to eradicate ALB. The ALB program eradicated beetle infestations in Boston, Mass., as well as Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and Islip in New York; a portion of East Fork State Park and Stonelick and Monroe townships in Ohio; Illinois and New Jersey.
For more information about the ALB and its eradication efforts, visit www.AsianLonghornedBeetle.com. For local inquiries or to speak to your USDA State Plant Health Director, call 1-866-702-9938. To report a siting of the ALB from anywhere in the commonwealth log on to the state’s “Introduced Pests Outreach Project” at massnrc.org/pests/albreport.aspx.