Category: Insects

The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is an invasive insect that feeds on certain species of hardwood trees, eventually killing them. The ALB especially likes maple tree.  The ALB most likely came to the United States inside wood packing material from Asia. Since it was first discovered in Brooklyn, New York in 1996, the beetle has caused tens of thousands of trees to be destroyed in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. If the ALB were to become established here, it could become one of the most destructive and costly pests ever to enter the United States. If we don’t find and stop the ALB, we’ll lose more than trees. We’ll lose industries worth billions of dollars – and wildlife habitats too. Our yards and neighborhoods will take decades to recover.

Read More at Beetle Busters

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive wood boring beetle that feeds on the tissues under the bark of ash trees (Fraxinus spp) and kills them. EAB is 100% fatal to native ash trees of any size, any age, healthy or unhealthy, (according to research by Michigan State University and the US Forest Service).  Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is not a threat to human health but it does threaten our forest and urban tree populations.

The metallic green EAB beetle is native to East Asia and was accidentally imported to the United States within the wood of shipping crates from China. EAB was first discovered in North America near Detroit, Michigan in 2002. Since then the beetle has spread to several eastern and midwestern states, including Wisconsin. EAB has also been found in Canada.

Read more at Wisconsin’s Emerald Ash Borer Information Source.