The Environmental Club shares the Eco=Fact of the week for the week of October 18, 2021
Asian longhorns, spotted by nature, seem to blend perfectly in as a native species to New York but don’t be fooled. They are native to China and Korea, first spotted in Brooklyn, New York in 1996. With the absence of natural predators who would have normally kept the beetle population in control, they have been able to wreak havoc on our forests costing the forest products industry billions of dollars. The reason Asian longhorns are so destructive is because the larvae burrow themselves into the living tissue of the trees, just under the bark, damaging it so the tree can no longer send nutrients and water up to its branches and leaves. Some signs of these beetles are if you were to see round, ⅜ to ½ inch exit holes from adults emerging from trees beginning in late July, sawdust or frass collecting at the base of trees or the branches, and round ½ inch depressions (egg-laying sights) in the outer bark. If you happen to believe you discovered them, take pictures of the infestation signs, note the location and then email the DEC Forest Health at foresthealth@dec.ny.gov or call the ALB tip line at 1-886-702-9938. Stay on the lookout for them!
