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"Warning. Alien beetles have invaded the United States. These bullet-shaped beasts with antennae twice their sizes are on a mission to kill every tree in their path." Does this sound like a scene from a bad science fiction movie? It's not the newest monster flick; it's actually happening in backyards and parks throughout the United States!
This alien invader is called the Asian Longhorned Beetle. Like crabs, lobsters, shrimp, spiders, and insects, this beetle is an arthropod. An arthropod is an invertebrate that has a segmented body and limbs with joints. But, unlike other arthropods born and raised in the United States, this unwelcome first-time visitor poses a real threat to trees and forests throughout the country.
Originally from China and Korea, Asian Longhorned Beetles came to the U.S. as stowaways on a ship carrying wooden cartons. Once on land, they made their way to the beautiful trees in Brooklyn, New York. Then, when the infested wood was moved from Brooklyn to Amityville, N.Y., the beetles hitched a ride.
Since 1996, these beetles have attacked over 1,500 trees in Chicago and almost 6,000 trees in New York! Although they have been found at ports and warehouses in other cities, thankfully, the beetles seem to have been detected before any had a chance to get out.
Getting rid of these dangerous beetles is no easy task. First of all, each Asian Longhorned Beetle can lay up to 160 eggs! And because they attack the tree from the inside, regular insecticides have had little effect. Unfortunately, the best way to get rid of the beetles is to cut down the infested tree, grind up the chips, and then burn them—and no one likes to see a once perfectly healthy tree cut down.
There is some good news. These beetles don't usually move too far on their own. They prefer other methods of transportation, such as on logs gathered and sold for firewood or branches that are cleared from one place and shipped to another. If a beetle is spotted in a tree, the rule is "No wood allowed in or out of the area!"
So the next time you see a black, one-inch, bullet-shaped bug with white spots and two-inch striped antennae, don't kill it, but contact someone in authority who will take action to prevent further infestation. The trees will thank you.
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