Asian Long Horn Beetles are a huge problem in Toronto, Chicago and New York, but according to a Science North expert, they aren?t yet a problem in Greater Sudbury.
As far as Science North blue coat Dan Chaput knows, the beetles, which wreak havoc on hardwood species, haven?t spread beyond the Golden Horseshoe. Efforts are underway in Toronto and York to destroy infested trees on public property.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the cities of Toronto and York, Natural Resources Canada, Toronto and York Region Conservation, the Canadian Forest Service, the United States Department of Agriculture and Agricultural Research Services and the MNR to stop the spread of the ?hardwood pest.?
The beetles tend to attack all hardwood species, but the main concern up here is the large population of sugar maple.
Larvae feed on the tree from under the bark. Adults feed on the fine branches and leaves. They tend to attack shoots causing younger new growth to wither and die in many cases.
A live adult ALHB was found in a warehouse in Waterloo in 1998. It is believed the beetle made its way to Canada on a shipment from China, where it is a native species.
Beetles were found in New York and Amityville across the border in 1996, and millions were spent to contain the
pest. The beetle was found again in 1998 about three kilometres from the original quarantine area.
The beetle is a threat to most Canadian broadleaf species, especially hardwoods like poplar, maple, sycamore, elm, willow, cherry and fruit trees. It has no natural enemies in Canada?s forests. Our temperate climate, according to the MNR?s website, is ideal for the beetle.
No practical insecticide treatment exists.
