WASHINGTON – Healthy trees in some residential neighborhoods and public areas in Chicago and New York will be treated with an insecticide to control the spread of the destructive Asian long-horned beetle, the U.S. Agriculture Department said April 25.
The discovery of the invasive beetle in both cities has alarmed U.S. officials, who have been forced to remove more than 4,300 infested hardwood trees in New York City and 1,200 in the Chicago area.
The USDA said it would try to stop the spread of the beetle by injecting small amounts of the insecticide known as imidacloprid into the trunk or soil of healthy trees surrounding infested areas. The same chemical is commonly used in flea treatments for household pets and is safe for humans, the USDA said.
"This will be used to set up a protective barrier around trees," said a USDA spokeswoman. "We're not 100 percent sure that this kind of barrier will hold, but it's well worth trying."
The insecticide kills the adult beetles, which eat twigs, but it remains unclear whether it kills the insect during its other life cycle stages, she said.
In February, the government expanded a quarantine in Illinois to restrict movement of wood and related agricultural products from infested areas.
Economists estimate that up to $138 billion in damage could be caused if the beetle were to spread nationwide. Lumber and maple sugar industries are especially vulnerable.
The Asian long-horned beetle apparently hitchhiked its way from China into the United States in wooden packing crates. The beetle is relatively easy to spot, with a one-inch (2.5 cm) shiny, black body with white spots, and antennae that are even longer.
The tree-eating bug has been found in the Upper East Side of Manhattan; Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn; and Bayside, Sunnyside, Ridgewood, Woodside and Flushing in Queens. On Long Island, the beetle has also been spotted in Amityville, the Massapequa, Islip and Lindenhurst.
In the Chicago area, infestations have been found in Lincoln Park, Ravenswood, Addison, DuPage County and the village of Summit.
For more information, check out the following exclusive online only article from Lawn & Landscape Online: Big Apple Has A Worm – The Asian Long-horned Beetle.