08/03/2026
August is check your trees month! Be on the lookout for Asian Longhorned Beetles. Here's some tips for spotting these pests in your maples and other hardwood trees.
Connecticut – check your trees! August is “tree check month” for the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB).
ALB is an invasive insect that attacks and kills maple and other hardwood trees.
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is working with partners to eliminate infestations in central Long Island, NY, and Worcester County, MA. ALB has not yet been reported in Connecticut, but residents are advised to check their trees and report any sightings.
ALB adults are up to 1.5 inches long. They are distinguishable from native lookalikes, such as wood-sawyer beetles, by their distinct white spots and the alternating black-and-white bands on their antennae. The adults emerge from under the bark by chewing a round exit hole about dime-sized or smaller.
If you think you may have found the ALB, do not attempt to move the insect, wood, or other potentially infested material from the site. Take photos, make a note of the location, and report the sighting by using the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's reporting tool: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/cd88aecff65948e795bac5f34e1b66d2
If you have questions about ALB, contact the CAES Entomology office at [email protected].
Follow laws that restrict the movement of firewood and woody material to prevent the spread of ALB: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Forestry/Forest-Protection/Regulations-on-Movement-of-Firewood
Here’s how to check your trees: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/alb/check-trees
