The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) isn’t just killing our trees. This invasive pest is threatening our industries, wildlife habitats and the natural beauty of our cities and neighborhoods. It’s as plain as black and white – we need your help to stop it. There are lots of ways you can help beat the beetle:

Learn the Signs. Look for It. Report It.
Come Summer, early detection of infestations and rapid response are the key to getting rid of the ALB for good. The most important thing you can do is search for ALB and signs of infestation in your area and report it. Here’s how:

1. Locate host trees on or near your property. Primary host trees include maples, birches, elms, and willows.
2. Examine each tree for signs of infestations, especially beetles and dime-sized exit holes.
3. If you observe beetles or evidence of ALB damage, report your sighting online, or contact your state’s ALB program or State Plant Health Director.
4. If possible, capture the insects you think are ALB, place them in a jar and freeze them – this will preserve the insect for easy identification. Take digital pictures of the insect and damage to your trees in case officials request them.

Allow Access to Your Property
If you find an ALB on your property, live in a regulated area or near one, State inspectors may need to examine the individual host trees on your property. It is crucial that you allow officials access to your property for both inspection and eradication work.

Don’t Plant Host Trees in Infested Areas.
To help limit the trees that supply the ALB with food and shelter, don’t plant ALB host trees on your property. Plant tree species that are not ALB hosts instead. View a list of recommended trees.

Never Move Firewood.
The most effective way to stop the ALB during Fall and Winter is to not move firewood. We can no longer spot the beetle; the ALB eggs and larvae have tunneled deep into the trees they infest. Cutting a tree into firewood does not kill all ALB developing inside of it. Adult beetles can still emerge, infecting healthy trees when they do.

Humans can unknowingly transport the ALB hundreds of miles in firewood. That’s why it is so important to make sure your wood is from local resources and to burn it where you buy it. Don’t carry it across county or state lines. The best approach is to not move firewood from your property, and definitely don’t move wood out of quarantine zones. In fact, many state parks will not let people bring their own firewood. It will be confiscated and burned immediately. At the end of the cold season, be sure to burn all the wood that you have, so that any larvae in the dead wood can’t spread to living trees.

When purchasing firewood, for everything from camping to home heating, asking a few important questions can significantly help control the spread of the ALB:

• Where did this firewood come from? Is it local?
• Has this firewood been inspected?
• What kind of wood is it? (Click here to see a list of trees infected by the ALB)

Read the Frequently Asked Questions

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