) is a large,
bullet-shaped beetle about 1 to 1.5 inches long. Shiny and black with
white spots, it has exceptionally long antennae that are banded with
black and white. The elongated feet are black with a whitish-blue upper
surface. Although its size and large mandibles cause it to appear
threatening, the beetle is harmless to humans and pets. In the larval
stage, the white, worm-like beetles bore into live trees causing sap to
flow from wounds and frass (sawdust and other insect waste) to
accumulate at tree bases. Left undetected, the ALB will girdle the
vascular system of trees eventually causing the tree to wither and die.
Q. Why should the United States be concerned about ALB? A. The ALB is
a serious threat to U.S. trees. ALB larvae bore deep into deciduous
hardwood trees such as maple, birch, horse chestnut, poplar, willow,
elm, and ash, eventually killing them. Damage from infestations in New
York and Illinois has resulted in the removal of thousands of trees and
costs to State and Federal governments in excess of $80 million since
the discovery of the infestations in 1996. If the ALB were to expand
beyond the current quarantined areas of New York and Illinois, it has
the potential to wreak havoc nationwide, affecting such industries as
lumber, maple syrup, nursery, commercial fruit, and tourism and
accumulating over $650 billion in losses.
Q. How did the beetle get here? A. ALB is primarily found in China
and areas of Korea and probably hitchhiked here in solid wood packing
material (SWPM), such as crates and pallets, from China. U.S. trade with China has increased exponentially over the past
decade. In 2000, imported commodities from China to the United States
exceeded $100 billion. As a result, the risk of this plant pest as well
as the potential of other invasive insects, plant diseases and weeds
being introduced into the United States has increased as well.
Q. Can the United States stop importing goods from China to avoid
these pests? A. No. Instead, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) works with the
Chinese authorities to take steps to prevent future infestations of ALB
and similar pests, including restrictions on SWPM from China and
imposition of treatment requirements for these materials before they
arrive in the United States.
Q. What is being done to prevent further infestations from occurring?
A. In 1998, APHIS published an interim rule immediately requiring that
all SWPM from China be completely free of bark and live plant pests and
treated with either preservatives, heat, or fumigation prior to arrival
in the United States. APHIS analyzes threats to U.S. agriculture and develops rules for
importing commodities based on the risks they present. On a national
scale, APHIS provides its inspectors at U.S. ports-of-entry with pest
alerts, outreach material targeting importers, and the necessary
training to increase overall vigilance during import inspections. These
inspectors form the first line of defense against exotic plant and
animal pests and diseases. All international passenger baggage, cargo,
packages, mail, and conveyances are subject to inspection upon entry
into the United States. APHIS has worked with employees, industry,
cooperators, and the public to heighten awareness of the ALB to help
increase detection. APHIS is also conducting thorough surveys in
high-risk areas where potentially infested cargo has been imported.
The tremendous volume of imported cargo makes it impossible to
visually inspect every item for evidence of an infestation; however,
over 98 percent of imported SWPM is in compliance with current
regulations. Noncompliant material is immediately quarantined and
promptly shipped back to the exporting country until compliance has been
met. In many cases, the infested packing material must be separated from
the imported products and destroyed.
When an ALB is found in cargo at a port of entry, APHIS identifies
the cargo shipment's intended destination, and officials inspect the
storage facility and previous shipments that may have been imported from
the same area. Surveys are conducted in the vicinity around warehouses
with infested cargo to determine if beetles have escaped into the
environment.
More on Federal regulation and related SWPM compliance can be
reviewed by visiting Solid Wood Packing Materials under "Hot Issues"
at the APHIS ALB website
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/alb/alb.html
Q. In addition to portions of the Greater Chicago and New York City
areas, where else has ALB been found? A. ALB has not been found in the
environment in any other location. However, in the past decade beetles
have been found inside warehouses in: Hawthorne, Los Angeles, and South
Gate, CA; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Martin Grove, IL; Indianapolis and Porter County, IN; Lansing and
Warren, MI; Camden, Cream Ridge, Linden, Mahwah, New Brunswick, and
Secacaus, NJ; Jamestown and Rochester, NY; Charlotte, NC; Cincinnati,
OH; Lycoming County and Sinking Springs, PA; Charleston, SC; Bellingham
and Seattle, WA; Sauk County, WI; and most recently in Houston, TX, and
Mobile, AL.
Q. How does APHIS survey for these pests? A. In the absence of a
trap, APHIS and cooperating State inspectors must tackle the difficult
task of completing a survey of beetle-infested areas by examining
individual trees for signs of beetle damage. USDA's Forest Service, the
Bureau of Land Management, and USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service
contribute resources to APHIS's tree-inspection effort. State and local
government cooperators include the New York State Department of
Agriculture and Markets, New York City Department of Parks and
Recreation, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Chicago Department of
Streets and Sanitation, and Chicago Bureau of Forestry. APHIS also
contracts with local tree service professionals for inspection services.
Inspectors search for exit holes, egg deposit sites, piles of frass
at the base of infested trees and in branch crotches, and sap leaking
from wounds in the trees. Unseasonable yellowing or drooping of leaves
when the weather has not been especially dry are also signs that the ALB
may be present. Leaf symptoms show up when the immature insects, growing
inside the tree, have bored through tissues that carry water from tree
roots and nutrients from the leafy canopy above. Once the pest has
sufficiently disrupted those pathways, the infested branch or the entire
tree will die.
Inspectors use innovative methods to conduct Asian longhorned beetle surveys. Trained professionals perform aerial tree inspections using
bucket trucks, and Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
smokejumpers (forest firefighters) climb trees in difficult areas. Many
interest groups and organizations participate in ground observations;
however, anyone with a keen eye and set of binoculars can contribute to
this effort.
Q. Is there an effective treatment to control or destroy these pests?
A. Although treatments exist to control ALB-infested cargo, the ALB is
not easily controlled once it is introduced into the environment.
Because the majority of the beetle's life is spent deep within the
heartwood of host trees, it is difficult to control using contact
insecticides. Although costly and undesirable, the only assured method
of eliminating the beetle is to cut and chip or burn infested trees and
replace them with nonhost species.
The recently introduced insecticide imidacloprid shows great
potential in preventing the spread of ALB and is expected to become an
additional effective control tool in the eradication of this pest.
Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide that, when applied directly into
the trunk of a tree or the soil near a tree, moves quickly upward into
stems, twigs, and foliage where the beetles would be expected to feed
and lay eggs.
Research to attain additional survey and control options remains
ongoing. Scientists continue to experiment with new chemicals,
application methods, biocontrol methods, and devices to detect
ALB-infested trees.
Q. What can homeowners do to prevent ALB from attacking their trees?
A. Homeowners can assist officials in preventing an infestation in
several ways. By cooperating with officials, allowing them to survey
trees, and allowing the removal of ALB-infested trees, homeowners can
help prevent further devastation. When planting yard or ornamental trees,
homeowners within regulated areas should select varieties that ALB does
not prefer. Host trees include maple (Norway, sugar, silver, and red),
birch, horse chestnut, poplar, willow, elm, and ash. They should adhere
to current quarantines and regulations in their area concerning the
movement of host material, firewood, and other wood products.
Homeowners may also visually inspect tree health by keeping a close
watch for signs of distress that may occur as the result of an
infestation. Indicators of distress may include dead leaves during
normal seasonal conditions, excessive sawdust buildup near tree bases
and tree crotches, excessive sap oozing from trees, and random holes in
trees measuring approximately three-eighths of an inch or about the
diameter of a dime.
If any signs or symptoms of an ALB infestation are observed,
immediately contact the State Department of Agriculture, County
Extension office, or USDA-APHIS office.