Asian Longhorned Beetles Coming to a Tree Near You?

The state of Connecticut is bracing itself against the possibility of an infestation of the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), an invasive insect that has destroyed several thousand hardwood trees in the northeast. Moving firewood is the main way the destructive insect travels.

"With all the windstorm damage, the state has been really afraid because a lot of homeowners are frantically cutting up and removing trees and you can't just throw it in your trash bag and ship it out," said New Canaan Nature Center Director of Education Keith Marshall.

The Nature Center has an ALB Alert on its homepage.  Kirby Stafford, Connecticut's State Entomologist and Vice Director of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven appreciates the help.

"We are trying to be proactive," he said, "There are infestations of the Asian longhorned beetle in New York and Worcester, Massachusetts, so we're kind of surrounded." 

There is only one course of action if a tree is infested. "If any tree shows any sign of longhorn beetle, no questions asked the policy is complete removal of tree," the Nature Center's Director of Education Keith Marshall explained. "Whether it's a heritage tree or not, doesn't matter. Worcester has cut down 18,000 trees due to longhorn beetles."

The beetle, a serious pest in China, Korea and Japan, probably arrived in the United States in wooden packing materials such as crates and pallets.  Once discarded, the bugs move to a new host tree. The ALB does not attack conifers, but the maple, elm, willow, birch, horse chestnut poplar, ash and hackberry are all at risk.  The insect presents no danger to humans or pets.

What to look for?

-The bugs are an inch to an inch-and-a-half long, with white spots on black bodies. 

-They have black and white striped antennae are longer than their bodies. 

-Adults are most active in summer through early fall.  They'll tunnel into their host trees after the first frost.

--Dime sized exit holes in tree trunks

--Browning leaves at the crown of a tree

If you think you might have found an Asian longhorned beetle or signs of an infestation send a digital photo to the Connnecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (www.ct.gov/CAES). 

"The interesting thing is all known infestations have been found by a member of the public," said Stafford.  

Residents who see any signs of infestation should not hesitate to report their suspicions.