All photos courtesy of USDA APHIS
ALB infographic for Tree Check Month
This past March, the state of New Jersey declared itself free
from ALB, becoming the second state to declare eradication;
the beetle was successfully eradicated from Illinois in 2008.After
11 years of fighting the pest, there are no longer any ALB quarantines in place in New Jersey.
USDA APHIS and N.Y. officials in Central Park on May 14.
The beetle was first discovered in Jersey City in October
2002. State and federal agriculture officials then found trees
infested with the beetle in Carteret,Woodbridge, Linden, and
Rahway. Eradication efforts involved the removal of 21,981
trees in Union, Middlesex, and Hudson counties.The infested
trees were taken to Covanta resource recovery facility where
they were converted to electrical energy to power some 30,000
homes and businesses.Linden received chemical treatment applications of host trees.
Officials in Canada also believe that eradicating the beetle
is possible too. In April, Canadian officials announced the eradication of an infestation found in the cities of Vaughan and
Toronto.This success followed nearly a decade of collaborative efforts among federal, provincial and municipal authorities.
But while the eradications of ALB in these areas are a victory
for all of us, we all still need to stay vigilant and inspect trees
regularly for signs of infestation — especially since trees in all
states are at risk. Unfortunately, once ALB infests a tree, there is
no cure for that tree, but there are treatment options to save
the rest.
One great resource for arborists that was recently published
by the USDA and the U.S. Forest Service is a photo-rich publication titled "Asian Longhorned Beetle and its Host Trees" USDA APHIS and NJ officials at a tree planting ceremony on March 14 in Linden, N.J.
(http://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/alb/alb-and-host-trees-09-12-2012screen.pdf). It shows the host trees, as well as damage caused by the insect. infested trees lost in Boston versus the more than 30,000 trees lost in
The USDA's ALB informational website (www.AsianLonghornedBeetle.com) Worcester County, Mass.Thankfully, the eradication efforts are workalso offers more information on the beetle; signs of damage and the trees ing. An eradication announcement for Boston is expected next year,
it attacks; as well as downloadable materials, including videos, pictures resulting in the shortest timeframe between initial detection and declarand an online reporting function.
ing eradication (just four years).
So eradication is possible.The most important thing you can do is
to check trees regularly for ALB and encourage others to do so too.
Rhonda Santos is public information officer,USDA APHIS Asian Longhorned
Early detection is crucial. It can mean the difference between the six Beetle Eradication Program.
www.arborage.com
Arbor Age / July/August 2013
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