The recent find of Asian longhorned beetles (ALB) near the famed Arnold Arboretum just outside Boston has entomologists and tree-lovers scrambling. The beetle was found on six trees, which were cut down and removed this week. Now the work of looking for more beetles begins.

Kills many hardwoods

ALB attacks and kills many hardwood trees including maple, elm, horsechestnut, ash, birch, poplar, willow and many more. The pest could significantly disrupt the forest ecosystem if it became established over a large area.

Stan Swier, a UNH Cooperative Extension entomology specialist, says the find is very serious, but he isn't panicking, "We don't know if the infestation is more widespread than the six trees. Hopefully, the infestation was caught early enough, but that will only be known by surveying the area."

In New Hampshire, the Forest Health Office of the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands regularly surveys for the beetle. New Hampshire residents are asked to be on the lookout for these beetles. You can find photos and a lot of other information on our ALB Web page.

Check your trees and even your swimming pools

The beetles are easiest to see when they are most active in late July through late August. Kyle Lombard, entomologist with the Forest Health office says, "We will be reminding New Hampshire residents to look for them in their trees and even in their swimming pools this July and August. We need as many people as possible looking for the beetle."

Don't transport camp fuel and firewood from infested areas: Buy local!

Asian longhorned beetles don't fly very far, probably less than a mile at a time. Brad Simpkins, director of the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands and State Forester says, "We can keep these infestations local only if we don't transport the wood out of the infested areas."

Simpkins asks people to buy their firewood for summer camping and winter heating locally, "Eighty-four percent of New Hampshire is covered in forests. We have plenty of wood here. The primary way these beetles move is by people carrying them around in firewood."

Learn more

UNH Cooperative Extension, the N.H. Department of Agriculture, the USDA Forest Service and the Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) are pooling their efforts to inform homeowners and landowners about Asian longhorned beetle.

Educational workshops are planned for Keene on Aug. 3 and 7 and for Nashua on Aug. 17 and 21. Visit http://extension.unh.edu/ALB/ for regular updates. To learn more, contact the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, Forest Health Office at 464-3016.

By Karen Bennett, Extension Forestry Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension

Photo credit: Adult and larval forms of Asian longhorned beetle, by James E. Mario Jr.