Participate in August Tree Check Month
Asian Longhorned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, ALB adults continue to be active in Massachusetts in August. In fact, the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has called August Tree Check Month, as it is a prime time to find ALB adult beetles and report any insects or signs of infestation.
They are asking
the public to take 10 minutes and
inspect their trees, particularly maple. Look for the insect itself (a shiny
black bodied beetle with white spots and long antennae with black and white
bands) or signs of an ALB infestation which include perfectly round exit holes
(about the size of a dime), shallow oval or round scars in the bark where a
female has chewed an egg site, or sawdust-like frass (excrement) on the ground
nearby host trees or caught in between branches.
They ask the public to take the following steps:
- Make note of what you found; take a
photo when possible (of suspicious damage, the beetle, etc.)
- Capture the suspicious insect when possible;
place it in a container and freeze it
- Report your findings
The regulated area for Asian longhorned beetle is 110 miles2 encompassing Worcester, Shrewsbury,
Boylston, West Boylston, and parts of Holden and Auburn. If you believe you
have captured an Asian longhorned beetle or have seen damage caused by this
insect, such as exit holes, on susceptible host trees like maple, please call
the Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program office in Worcester, MA at 508-852-8090 or toll free at 1-866-702-9938.
To report an Asian longhorned beetle find online or compare it to common insect look-alikes, visit:http://massnrc.org/pests/albreport.aspx or https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pests-diseases/alb/report.