ALBANY — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wants New York swimming pool owners to participate in DEC’s annual Asian Longhorned Beetle Swimming Pool Survey during August.
During late summer, Asian longhorned beetles (ALB) emerge as adults and are most active outside of their host trees. The goal of the survey is to locate infestations of these invasive pests before they cause serious damage to the State’s forests and street trees.
“Most invasive forest pest infestations have been discovered and reported by members of the public, making citizen science a vital tool for protecting our urban and rural forests,” said DEC Commissioner Bela Seggos. “Swimming pool monitoring is a simple, economical approach to surveying for Asian longhorned beetles and gives New Yorkers the chance to take an active role in protecting the trees in their yards and communities.”
DEC is asking swimming pool owners to periodically check pool filters for insects that resemble ALB and report suspects either by emailing photos to foresthealth@dec.ny.gov or mailing insects to DEC’s Forest Health Diagnostics Lab at 108 Game Farm Road, Delmar, NY 12054, Attn: Jessica Cancelliere.
People without swimming pools can help the effort by reporting signs of ALB in their communities. With more people currently staying at home, it is a perfect opportunity to pay closer attention to yard and neighborhood trees.
The beetle is about 1.5 inches long, black with white spots, and have black and white antennae; leave perfectly round exit holes about the size of a dime in branches and trunks of host trees; and create sawdust-like material called frass that collects on branches and around the base of trees.
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