Your Property May Be A Haven For Destructive Bugs

Article Posted on | September 22, 2009 | No Comments

The Asian Longhorned Beetle could be in Maine, or may be on its way; residents need to know the signs.

AUGUSTA, Me – BugWatchME is a watchdog group, sponsored by the Maine Department of Agriculture, whose mission is to educate Mainers about the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and how to spot and report it.

The ALB is responsible for the destruction of over 25,000 trees in a 66-square-mile area around Worcester, Massachusetts. The infestation went undetected for years. The only way to eradicate this wood-devouring insect is to cut, chip and burn infested trees. To date, $250 million has been spent in the US on the eradication of the beetle. If ALB is not stopped, it could kill 30 percent of all trees in the country.

The beetle’s trees of choice are hardwoods, particularly maple, birch, horsechestnut, poplar, willow, elm and ash. The possible impacts to Maine’s tourism, timber and sugar maple industries alone are enormous. “Because the beetle went undetected for many years in Massachusetts, we can’t say with any real certainty that it is not in Maine. If ALB has not arrived in Maine via overseas cargo, which is how it got to New York, Chicago and Worcester, then it could arrive by infested tree material like firewood,” says Karen Coluzzi, entomologist with the Maine Department of Agriculture.

It is important to note that most new infestations of ALB have been reported by the general public. Mainers need to be on the lookout:
• Inspect firewood piles for dime-sized exit holes in the bark or tunneling through the center
• Inspect living trees for holes or signs of the black and white beetle on the exterior of the tree.

Local libraries have materials to help people identify the ALB. Residents should report any suspicious findings to the Department of Agriculture online at www.albmaine.org or call 207-287-3891.

BugWatchME will be at local fairs and civic events over the next month passing out information and answering questions. A Facebook page, BugWatchME, has also been created so people can follow related news about the group’s efforts.