Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is active from now through Labor Day. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) asks pool owners to check filters for the invasive insect regularly, and submit a report if any are found.
ALB attacks and kills maples, birches, willows, and other hardwoods. They emerge from infested trees in the late summer to find a new host. The beetles are 1.5 inches long, have long black-and-white antennae, and have black and white spots on their body.
They should not be confused with the native white-spotted pine sawyer, which has a distinctive white spot on their back, below their head.
No pool? You can still help! Be on the lookout for ALB exit holes, sawdust accumulating at the base of trees, oozing sap, or pits in bark.
If found:
• Email photos to the Forest Health Program; or
• Mail insects to DEC’s Forest Health Research Lab for identification:
NYSDEC Forest Health Research Laboratory Attn: Amanda Dillon 108 Game Farm Road Delmar, NY 12054
