Just when U.S. officials thought they eradicated the Asian long-horned beetle, the winged-menace has returned and is attacking trees in New York City and surrounding areas, The New York Times has learned.
The long-horned black beetles invaded New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Ohio and other states after it arrived from Asia two decades ago, destroying some 80,000 trees in its wake. Over $200 million has been spent on efforts to eliminate the beetles in New York since 1997.
Federal and local officials finally thought the battle was won. But the white polka-dotted beetle evaded their attempts and hundreds of trees have already been infected along a main highway and rural cemeteries in Farmingdale, Long Island.
Agriculture experts are now inspecting thousands of trees for signs of the beetle infestation, which is believed to be brewing in Brooklyn and Queens in addition to Long Island, The NY Times reported. The beetle most likely made its way to Long Island in sewer pipe equipment from an overseas shipment.
"Our primary focus is preventing the spread of this invasive species to the upstate region," Joe Morrissey, spokesman from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, told The NY Times. "If it spreads to the forested areas in New York, eradication of this beetle would become much more difficult."
So, in a preemptive strike, workers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and New York's Agriculture Department will remove 4,500 trees in Long Island's Suffolk County to contain the infestation.
Asian long-horned beetles lay their eggs underneath the bark, which then hatch and feast on the tree from the inside out. By removing the trees in the fall, the hope is to stop the infestation before the eggs hatch and grow inside the trees during the winter.
The beetles were likely introduced to the U.S. through ships arriving from China. But federal packing regulations have since been altered to minimize their migration, the newspaper reported.
Infestations of invasive wildlife, such as long-horned beetles and Asian carp, have increased with the rise of global trade.
"We were very disappointed," Morrissey told the newspaper of finding out about the beetles' return. "It was a setback after many years of gain."
