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Asian longhorned beetles are serious threat to Ohio trees

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By Pam Corle-Bennett, Contributing writer 10:56 PM Friday, June 24, 2011

Unfortunately, Ohio has become the fourth state to discover an infestation of Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). This announcement was made last week after confirmation that the pest has been located in Clermont County.

Normally, most insects don’t bother me. I tend to have a pretty good tolerance for most insects in the garden. Granted, there are a few that I end up spraying but for the most part, I let them go.

However, this beetle scares the living daylights out of me because of the potential destructiveness that it poses to Ohio’s trees.

It was first discovered in 1996 in Brooklyn, N.Y., and has also been found in Illinois, Massachusetts and New Jersey. It really is a bad bug and has the potential to kill a wide variety of trees.

ALB feeds on maple, willow, horsechestnut, buckeye, birch, ash, hackberry, London planetree and American elm. Experts say that if it ever becomes established here, it could be the costliest pest ever in the U.S. We stand to lose more than trees, including industries and wildlife habitats. Think about your neighborhood without any trees! Chicago and New York City were able to eradicate this pest by removing infected trees and potential host trees in close proximity. Worcester, Mass., is working to eradicate this pest.

As of the end of May, in Worcester County alone, 29,618 trees have been removed. In the municipality of Worcester, 18,433 trees have been removed.

Look around your community — can we afford to lose this many trees?

You can help by getting involved and becoming a Beetle Detective. Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture are partnering to help raise public awareness of ALB.

The first step is to go to the BeetleDetectives website (beetledetectives.com) and learn about ALB and what to look for. Click on the link “About The ALB & EAB” and read the factsheets and view the photos.

Then, look for signs of this pest on at least 10 trees on a property or in a neighborhood. After inspecting the trees, report findings on the website by clicking on the “Report Your Findings” link.

Raising the awareness is the first step to help protect trees around the state. We need your help - join the effort by becoming a beetle detective!

Pam Corle-Bennett is an Ohio State University Extension horticulture educator and the state Master Gardener volunteer coordinator.

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