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Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

Integrating research and outreach education from UMass Amherst

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Asian Longhorned Beetle

An alert citizen discovered the Asian  Longhorned  (ALB) in Worcester, MA in  early August 2008.  It is estimated that the  population has been in existence there for as  long as 15 years.  A USDA Regulated Area for  this infestation includes 74 square miles,  portions of 5 towns in central MA, in which  all firewood and woody debris must be  handled according to strict rules.

This beetle kills trees! It arrives in North  America in wooden pallets, crates and large  wooden spools.

Once here, the adult beetle seeks healthy, live  hardwood trees in which to lay eggs. 

After several years of the beetles’ feeding on a  tree, the tree dies. This outbreak in  Massachusetts marks the first time that this  destructive pest has been found so close to  forested areas.  A regional eradication program  aims to halt this infestation.  Join the effort to  prevent its spread in Massachusetts’ forests!

What to Look For

Photos and Look‐alike Beetles at: www.massnrc.org/pests/albdocs/ALBLookalikes_Mas sachusetts.pdf

Think you have found one? Collect an adult beetle in a jar and freeze it until it can be identified.

Report ALB sightings at: www.massnrc.org/pests/albreport.aspx or call 1‐866‐702‐9938 (Pest Alert Hotline)

Trees Prone to Infestation

Preferred: Maple species (boxelder, red,  Norway, silver, sugar, and occasional  ornamental maples), Birches, Elms,  Horsechestnut, Willow    Others: Ash,  European mountain‐ash, Hackberry, Katsura,  Poplar, Sycamore and Plane trees

Signs to Look For

  • Exit holes of the adult beetle in the trunks  and branches of hardwood trees from 3/8”  to 5/8” in diameter and perfectly round, as  if made by an electric drill
  • Large amounts of sawdust on the ground  at the time of adult emergence

Stay tuned on the web! 

  • Massachusetts Department of Agricultural  Resources (MDAR)
  • www.massnrc.org/pests/alb
  • City of Worcester, Office of the City  Manager - www.worcesterma.gov/city‐manager
  • or call 1‐508‐929‐1300
  • UMass Extension • www.umassgreeninfo.org
Image
Asian Long Horn Beetle
Last Updated: May 6, 2013

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Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

 

Stockbridge Hall,
80 Campus Center Way
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003-9246
Phone: (413) 545-4800
Fax: (413) 545-6555
ag [at] cns [dot] umass [dot] edu (ag[at]cns[dot]umass[dot]edu)

 

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