The Asian Longhorned Beetle Is Back, Putting Thousands of Trees at Risk

It’s a problem that officials in New York thought they had under control but now, for the first time in five years, a new infestation of Asian longhorned beetles (ALB) has emerged on Long Island.

Thousands of trees are now at risk as crews attempt to assess the extent of the latest outbreak.  Already, 500 trees are known to be riddled with the hungry pests and state officials estimate another 4,500 trees in central Long Island will have to be taken down to create a buffer zone to stop the spread.  Time is of the essence as just a few short weeks remain before the tree-tunneling beetles will bore their way out and take flight, potentially increasing the infestation area by a substantial amount.

While the tree culling is necessary to keep the outbreak from spreading further, it is a devastating blow to an area that very recently lost thousands of trees to Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene.

The Asian longhorned beetle is just one of the many invasive species destroying the vital carbon sinks of forests in the U.S.  Many of these species, such as the emerald ash borer which is devastating ash trees from Minnesota to New York and the pine bark beetle which has killed millions of trees in the West, are spreading thanks to milder winters and other changes in the climate that are opening up previously inhospitable habitat for the pests.

The Asian Longhorned Beetle Is Back, Putting Thousands of Trees at Risk