PEST MANAGEMENT
Is Eliminating
the Asian
Longhorned
Beetle Possible?
By Rhonda Santos
s eliminating Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) possible?
We think the answer is yes.You likely already know about
ALB (Anoplophora glabripennis) and its impact on our
nation's trees. But what hasn't been talked about enough is the
effort to rid ourselves of this pest.
The effort starts with two lead partners: the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which serves as the lead
federal agency; and a lead state agency, which is usually the
state's own department of agriculture. Both federal and state
agencies work in cooperation with other federal and state
partners, as well as with local municipalities to discuss what
is known about an infestation.They also discuss the available
treatment options and work together to make decisions
regarding the strategies that will be used.
The goal is to eradicate the beetle while saving as many
trees as possible.APHIS and its cooperators undertake eradication by imposing quarantines, conducting regulatory
inspections, surveying host trees by using both ground and Climber demonstration for ALB surveys
aerial visual survey methods, removing infested and high-risk
host trees, and chemically treating un-infested host trees.An area can- ulated areas in NewY from 135 to 109 square miles.These areas are the
ork
not be declared free of the beetle until after all the infested trees are second and third areas in the state to declare eradication; the first was
eliminated and multiple surveys are negative for active signs of beetle Islip,N.Y Long Island in 2011.Quarantines remain in effect for the bor.on
activity or the presence of the beetle itself — but areas are showing oughs of Brooklyn and Queens, as well as an area in central Long Island.
success in eliminating the beetle and declaring eradication.
The beetle was first discovered in Manhattan in August 1999.
Although the beetle has been detected in five U.S. states — NewYork Eradication efforts involved the removal of 130 trees. In Staten Island,
(1996),Illinois (1998),New Jersey (2002),Massachusetts (2008) and Ohio the beetle was first discovered in March 2007. Eradication efforts involved
(2011) — just this past May, the New York City boroughs of Manhattan the removal of 10,325 trees. Both areas received chemical treatment
and Staten Island declared themselves free of the pest, reducing the reg- applications of host trees.
I
20 Arbor Age / July/August 2013
www.arborage.com
