Extension News: July 2009 Archives

"Beetle Blitz" will recruit and educate citizen monitors

Forest health experts fear that an exotic pest called the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), which made its way into the U.S. in wooden packing crates from China more than a decade ago, could move into New Hampshire and devastate our forest landscape.

To prevent an infestation, the state's Forest Pest Advisory Committee has planned a "beetle blitz" later this summer and fall to raise public awareness and recruit citizen volunteers to monitor forest and landscape trees for signs of the insect.

Beetle not yet found in N.H.
"So far, we haven't found ALB in New Hampshire," says UNH Cooperative Extension entomologist, Dr. Stan Swier. "But last summer, the beetle was discovered in Worcester, Massachusetts. State and federal officials have mounted a massive eradication program there, expected to last many years and to cost tens of millions of dollars."

First discovered in Brooklyn in 1996, the beetle turned up in other New York sites, New Jersey, Chicago, Toronto before being discovered in Worcester.

Beetle behavior
"The female ALB chews holes in the trunks and branches of many hardwood species--especially maples, but also birch, elm, ash, poplar, willow, horsechesnut, and many more--to lay her eggs," says Swier. "The eggs hatch, and the larvae excavate large galleries inside the tree, disrupting sap flow, weakening and eventually killing it. ALB attacks many hardwood trees, but is most common in maple and birch."

Beetle threatens forest values
"New Hampshire's 4.6 million forested acres provide the scenic natural backdrop for the quality of life we all enjoy," says Swier. "Our timber industries are collectively worth $2 billion and support 21,000 jobs. Forests also help protect our water quality, prevent flooding, provide wildlife habitat, give us our maple syrup industry, and support many recreational activities for both tourists and residents alike.

"Because the beetle attacks many different tree species, scientists fear an infestation could have long-lasting negative impacts on the entire forest ecosystem if it became established over a large area," Swier says.

Prevention: first line of defense
"Prevention is our first line of defense, followed by aggressive eradication programs if the beetle is found," says Swier. "The larva burrows deeply into the tree, making it extremely difficult to control. We currently have no biological control methods for this pest, although the USDA is conducting experiments testing the effectiveness of some insecticides.

"Chemicals reduce the problem on landscape trees but aren't practical in a forest. Chemicals cannot eradicate ALB.
"Once the beetle has been discovered, it becomes a very expensive search-and-destroy operation, involving cutting, burning and chipping." says Swier.

A call to citizen action
"With nearly five million forested acres in New Hampshire, we believe ordinary citizen observers are the most important key to identifying this potential threat," Swier says. "To that end, we're organizing a 'beetle blitz' of citizen awareness programs, beginning with two early-evening "twilight" meetings, August 18 in Manchester and August 25 in Portsmouth, from 5:30 to 8:30."

"Volunteers will sign up to join specific groups for the survey in their community. Each group will survey for ALB the following Saturday morning, by inspecting suitable host trees within a specifically designated grid area for that group.

"Cooperative Extension staff will follow the initial meetings with similar workshops in each of the state's 10 counties over the fall and winter, as well as with a series of train-the-trainer meetings for garden club members, master gardeners, community tree stewards, and others," Swier says.

"As people learn to recognize the adult ALB and its emergence holes, we hope they'll alert the state authorities: the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, the Division of Forests and Lands, or their local Cooperative Extension office.

Primary means for distribution: firewood moving in from infested areas
"The primary way the beetle may move into New Hampshire is on firewood," says Swier. "People transport firewood long distances, especially to summer camps. In late May, both State and Federal regulators banned the movement of firewood into government-owned parks and the White Mountain National Forest. We've identified residents of the Worcester area who own property in New Hampshire and sent individual letters to them all, urging them not to bring firewood into the state and to notify us if they have.

For more information

Beetle blitz kickoff workshops, August 18 and 25 Learn more about the threat to forest and landscape trees, how to scout for and identify ALB signs, and how to participate as a citizen monitor.

N.H. Asian Longhorned Beetle Web site

Video clip: Dr. Stan Swier talks about ALB

Contact information
Dr. Stan Swier
Dept Biological Sciences, UNH
Spaulding Hall, 38 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824
Ph. ( 603) 781-8248 (cell)
Fax: (603) 862-2717
Email: stan.swier@unh.edu