Natural Resources
Asian Long Horned Beetle
In August of 2008 a colony of the Asian long horned beetle was discovered in Worcester. The beetle is native to China and likely arrived as a stowaway in packing materials more than 10 years ago.
Surveys are currently underway to determine the extent of the infestation. As of April, 2009 more than 12,000 trees have been removed from infested areas and removal of thousands more in planned. The beetle control effort is expected to last more than 10 years. It is quite posible that undetected populations of the beetle exist in New England outside the regulated zone.
Larvae of the beetle feed on hardwoods and it has the potential to decimate New England forests. Maples are most suceptible but it also feeds on willows, aspen, birch, ash, elm, and other harwoods. Oak and pine are resistant.
The beetle is very large - those in Massachusetts range up to about 1.5 inches long, not including thier very long black and white antennae. The body is glossy black with irregular white spots.
Signs of infestation include pencil sized diameter holes in the trunk, oozing sap, sawdust deposits, and wilting leaves. See Fact Sheet for pictures of typical damage.
The current area of concern includes all of Worcester, and parts of Shrewsbury, Holden, Boylston and West Boylston. However, all in Central Massachsutts should be on guard.
If you see a suspected ALB, capture it in a jar and put it in the freezer for 24 hours to kill it. It is important that the beetle be properly identified because there are native beetles (including the pine sawyer beetle) with similar characteristics.
If you have purchased or brought any firewood from Worcester in the last several years, it would be a good idea to check trees near where the wood was stored for signs of a beetle infestation.
Report any sightings to the Worcester Regional Field Office of the USDA, 508-799-8330 or the Massachusttes Plant Pest Hotline at 617-626-1779. Sightings can also be reported on-line here.
More information about the ALB can be found at the University of Vermont ALB website or the City of Worcester ALB webpage.