Asian longhorned beetle threat returns

“The public is on the front lines of the campaign to eliminate the Asian longhorned beetle - the public is our eyes and ears, and we know that early detection of the beetle greatly increases the potential for successful eradication,” Queens Borough Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski said.
Her comment accompanied an announcement that the destructive beetle has reappeared in New York City in Maspeth in the area of Fresh Pond Road between 58th and 61st Avenues according to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.
The New York State Department of Agriculture (NYSDOA) found a dozen trees infested with the Asian longhorns. Prior to removing the infected trees, State officials and Parks Forestry personnel will continue inspecting the area in order to limit any further spread of the pest.
“The Asian longhorned beetle is a devastating pest threatening our nation’s trees,” Lewandowski said, “We are thankful to the NYSDOA for identifying and working to eradicate the beetles in Queens.”
Native to China, Japan and Korea, the beetles are voracious pests to deciduous hardwood trees including all species of maple, birch, horsechestnut, poplar, willow, elm, ash, mimosa (silk tree), hackberry, London plane, sycamore, and mountain ash. It deposits eggs into healthy trees. After hatching, the larvae bore into the trees and feed on living tree tissue. Later, throughout the summer, adult beetles emerge from exit holes and briefly feed on the small twigs and leaves of host trees.
Signs of an infested tree include round pits in tree bark, oozing sap, accumulation of sawdust (from larvae boring) and round exit holes. The Asian longhorns emerge in early July and become dormant in late October. In addition to removing infected trees, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) spokesperson Joe Gittleman said that the soil at the base of beetle-free trees in areas where contamination has been found is injected with a pesticide annually, which protects the trees from infestation.
So far, agriculture officials have identified and removed more than 4,000 infested trees in the city and aim to totally eradicate this insect.
Residents are asked not to move firewood or host tree materials out of the New York City quarantine areas as movement of these articles can unintentionally increase the spread of an infestation. To find out if you live in an area regulated for Asian longhorn beetles and before moving firewood call 1-866-265-0301.
To report a sighting call USDA hotline at 1-877-STOP-ALB or 3-1-1. To get help identifying the beetles visit www.uvm.edu/albeetle/identification/index.html. Transporting wood from established quarantined areas can be both a federal and State offense. Violations can be punished with federal fines of up to $250,000.