Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) Quarantine Expansion

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Quarantines are a primary tool in preventing the spread of Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) (Anoplophora glabripennis) in Ohio and elsewhere in North America.  They stop the beetle from hitchhiking to new locations in infested materials such as logs, firewood, pruned branches, etc.

 

Yesterday, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), and the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) announced an expansion of the ALB quarantine in Clermont County, OH, to encompass 576 acres in the East Fork Wildlife Area.  This is the first expansion of the quarantine since August 23, 2012, when two satellite infestations were discovered in Batavia and Stonelick Townships.

 

 

The Good News:

This expansion is not in response to a newly discovered ALB infestation located a distance away from the current known ALB infestation.  It is a contiguous expansion of the ALB quarantine zone in Ohio and translates into a slight bulge in the boundary.  You can view the new map by clicking on the hotlink under “More Information” below; the expanded zone is depicted in red.

 

The new quarantine came from a discovery late last season by ALB inspection crews of some infested trees located just outside the quarantine zone.  This was not unexpected.  ALB quarantine boundaries are developed using the results from tree inspections combined with political boundaries (e.g. between townships), geographical features (e.g. rivers), or transportation features (e.g. roads) to support compliance and enforcement.  So, it’s not unusual for an original quarantine to be expanded.  Indeed, given the histories of ALB infestations elsewhere in U.S. and Canada, we have been fortunate.

 

 

 

The Bad News:

ALB continues to be a major concern in North America.  The beetle is potentially the most devastating non-native pest to have ever arrived in North America. The beetle kills trees belonging to 12 genera and if it escapes eradication, ALB would cause a catastrophic loss of trees. Early detection is essential to eradication success.

 

 

ALB

 

You can learn how you can help stop ALB by attending our ALB Workshop tomorrow evening at the Fernald Nature Preserve Visitors Center.  You can see program details by clicking on the hotlink under “More Information” below.