Help Keep ALB Out

New York DEC launched its annual Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) Swimming Pool Survey during the month of August. The invader is not in the Finger Lakes region yet, so now is the time to ensure it does not arrive. ALB has been found in Downstate New York, the Toronto area and Massachusetts.

Photo by Kenneth R. Law, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org

“The majority of invasive forest pest infestations are found and reported by members of the public, making citizen science a vital component for protecting our urban and rural forests,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Pool monitoring offers a simple, economical approach to surveying for Asian Longhorned Beetles and gives the public a chance to take an active role in protecting the trees in their yards and communities.”

Keeping this pest out is important to the Finger Lakes, in particular the maple syrup industry. Since maples are a preferred host for ALB, the spread of the beetle into this region would mean devastating impacts to the maple syrup industry through the loss of healthy sugar bush.

DEC is requesting that people with swimming pools periodically check their pool filters for any insects that resemble ALB and either email photos to foresthealth@dec.ny.gov or mail insects to DEC’s Forest Health Diagnostics Lab for identification, Attn: Jessica Cancelliere, 108 Game Farm Road, Delmar, NY 12054.

Help #stopthespread by adhering to the NYS firewood regulation which limits untreated firewood movement to no more than 50 miles and obey the rules of the ALB quarantines which prevent firewood and any regulated materials from leaving those areas.

Check out our page on ALB as well as the detailed page at DEC for more information.