The Asian LongHorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), or ALB, is an extremely destructive wood-boring pest that feeds on the North American maple and other hardwoods.   A major effort to eradicate this pest is well underway in multiple US states, mostly on the East Coast.  The beetle is an invasive species that most likely came to the United States inside wood packaging material from Asia in 1996.  

The USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service is asking for your help in the eradication of these pests that threaten our beloved natural resources.  First find it, then report it.  

Find it!  Besides seeing the beetle inself with it’s very distinct white spots, there are signs that can be found on your trees indicating infestation.  

• Exit holes – In the warmer months the adult beetles chew their way out of the tree leaving, ¼ inch or larger, perfectly round exit holes.  Approximately the size and shape of a dime.
• Egg sites – Adult female beetles chew up to 90 oval depressions, called oviposition sites or egg sites, into the bark of the host tree. She lays a single egg beneath the bark at each site. These look like little wounds on the tree, and you can sometimes see the chew marks on the edges.
• Frass – As the larvae tunnel and feed, it often pushes sawdust-like material or excrement, called frass out onto the ground around the tree or onto the tree branches.
• Tunneling – After the egg hatches, the larva tunnels into the growing layers (phloem and cambium) of the tree and eventually into the woody tree tissue (xylem). If you have a fallen branch or are cutting wood, you may see this tunneling.

Report it! If you see a beetle or suspect that tree damage is caused by the ALB, please report it by calling the hotline at 1-866-702-9938 or filling out the online Report It form.

Of course you can always call Titan Tree Care for a professional consultation from one of our ISA Certified Arborists.