{"id":12790,"date":"2019-08-09T08:30:06","date_gmt":"2019-08-09T08:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=12790"},"modified":"2025-07-31T08:34:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T12:34:37","slug":"asian-longhorned-beetle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/asian-longhorned-beetle\/","title":{"rendered":"Be on the Lookout for the Asian Longhorned Beetle"},"content":{"rendered":"

United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin<\/a>: USDA declares August Tree Check Month and urges public to look for Asian longhorned beetle.\"Asian<\/a><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2019 \u2014 August is the height of summer, and it is also the best time to spot the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) as it starts to emerge from trees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is asking the public to take five minutes to step outside and report any signs of this invasive pest. Checking trees for the beetle will help residents protect their own trees and better direct USDA\u2019s efforts to eradicate this beetle from the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to look for signs of the beetle now, because it\u2019s slow to spread during the early stages of an infestation,\u201d said Josie Ryan, APHIS\u2019 National Operations Manager for the ALB Eradication Program. \u201cWith the public\u2019s help, we can target new areas where it has spread and provide a better chance of quickly containing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Asian longhorned beetle feeds on a wide variety of popular hardwood trees, including maple, birch, elm, willow, ash and poplar. It has already led to the loss of more than 180,000 trees. Active infestations are being fought in three areas of the country: Worcester County, MA, Long Island, NY (Nassau and Suffolk Counties), and Clermont County, Ohio.<\/p>\n

\u201cHomeowners need to know that infested trees do not recover and will eventually die, becoming safety hazards,\u201d warned Ryan. \u201cUSDA removes infested trees as soon as possible because they can drop branches and even fall, especially during storms, and this keeps the pest from spreading to nearby healthy trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Asian longhorned beetle has distinctive markings that are easy to recognize:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Antennae that are longer than the insect\u2019s body with black and white bands.<\/li>\n
  2. A shiny, jet-black body with white spots, about 1\u201d to 1 \u00bd\u201d long.<\/li>\n
  3. Six legs and feet, possibly bluish-colored.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Signs of infestation include:\"Asian<\/a><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Round exit holes in tree trunks and branches about the size of a dime or smaller.<\/li>\n
    2. Shallow oval or round scars in the bark where the adult beetle chewed an egg site.<\/li>\n
    3. Sawdust-like material called frass, laying on the ground around the tree or in the branches.<\/li>\n
    4. Dead branches or limbs falling from an otherwise healthy-looking tree.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      After seeing signs of the beetle:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Make note of what was found and where. Take a photo, if possible.<\/li>\n
      2. Try to capture the insect, place in a container, and freeze it. This will preserve it for easier identification.<\/li>\n
      3. Report findings by calling 1-866-702-9938 or completing an online form at USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        It is possible to eliminate this pest and USDA has been successfully doing so in several areas. Most recently, the agency declared Stonelick and Batavia Townships in Ohio to be free of the Asian longhorned beetle. We also eradicated the beetle from Illinois, New Jersey, Boston, MA, and parts of New York. The New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens are in the final stages of eradication.<\/p>\n

        For more information about the Asian longhorned beetle, other ways to keep it from spreading\u2014such as not moving firewood\u2014and eradication program activities, visit USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service<\/a>. For local inquiries or to speak to your State Plant Health Director, call 1-866-702-9938.<\/p>\n

        Other Resources:<\/strong>
        \n        Report Invasive Species<\/a>, Purdue Agriculture & Indiana Invasive Species Council
        \n        Great Lakes Early Detection Network<\/a>, Bugwood Apps
        \n        New Hope for Fighting Ash Borer<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog
        \n        Mile-a-Minute Invasive Vine Found Indiana,<\/a>\u00a0Got Nature? Blog
        \n        Sericea Lespedeza: Plague on the Prairie,<\/a>\u00a0Got Nature? Blog
        \n        Invasive Plants: Impact on Environment and People<\/a>, The Education Store, Purdue Extension
        \n        Invasive Plant Species in Hardwood Tree Plantations<\/a>, The Education Store
        \n        Invasive Plant Species: Callery Pear<\/a>, Purdue Extension The Education Store<\/p>\n

        United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin: USDA declares August Tree Check Month and urges public to look for Asian longhorned beetle. WASHINGTON, July 23, 2019 \u2014 August is the height of summer, and it is also the best time to spot the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) as it starts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,42,80,43,45,47,49,52,54],"tags":[56,987,989,990,60,135,61,63,991,584,65,367,67,70,262,408,988,819,72],"class_list":["post-12790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alert","category-forestry","category-trees","category-gardening","category-howto","category-invasiveinsects","category-plants","category-safety","category-wildlife","tag-alert","tag-asian-longhorned-beetle","tag-august-tree-check","tag-bugs","tag-forestry","tag-forests-and-street-trees","tag-gardening","tag-how-to","tag-infestation","tag-insects","tag-invasive-insects","tag-invasive-species","tag-plants","tag-safety","tag-tree","tag-trees","tag-united-states-department-of-agriculture","tag-usda","tag-wildlife","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12790"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33886,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12790\/revisions\/33886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}