Asian Long-Horned Beetle

Trees Under Threat
The Asian Long-horned Beetle
in Greater Toronto

Explore:

Unwelcome Guest, Unwanted Pest
Alien Invader
What's at Risk
A Bug's Life - A Tree's Death
Being a Good Host is Deadly
Recognizing Adult Beetles and Infested Trees
Battling the Beetle
> What You Can Do
> What Government Agencies Are Doing
Renewing the Urban Forest
Information Sources for the Asian Long-horned Beetle

Saying goodbye to the Asian Long-Horned Beetle

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced on April 5, 2013 that the Asian Long-Horned Beetle (ALHB) has successfully been eradicated from the Greater Toronto Area. The City of Toronto assisted with implementing this eradication program.

The ALHB infestation was one of the most difficult and complex forest health issues faced in our urban forest. In September 2003, the City of Toronto along with the Toronto Region Conservation Authority, under the direction and in partnership with the CFIA, began work related to the detection and eradication of the ALHB.

CFIA worked in partnership with municipal governments and researchers to control the ALHB infestation. This program enabled data collections to help control current and future ALHB infestations worldwide. We know more about which species are preferred and successful host species, how fast the beetle population grows over time, how far it typically spreads in a year and much more. The success of the program comes from the funding commitment of the federal government and the contribution of partners to the eradication and research program.

With no known natural predator, the ALHB poses as a serious threat with the potential to destroy up to 70 per cent of the trees and canopy of the urban forest and the natural forests of Ontario and Canada. While 28,000 trees were removed, 119,345 trees have been planted within the ALHB zone to offset these negative effects as part of Urban Forestry's ongoing commitment to plant more trees.

Unwelcome Guest, Unwanted Pest

The Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), a serious forest pest in its native Asia, has been found in Canada. In September 2003, beetle-infested trees were found for the first time in an industrial area on the Toronto-Vaughan boundary.

The beetle is not a threat to human or animal health. It does however, pose a great risk to Canada's hardwood forests and shade trees as a killer of multiple hosts. Our hardwood forests have already lost tree species - elm, chestnut, butternut, beech and now ash - due to successive attacks of introduced pests. The additional impact caused by Asian long-horned beetle would be devastating, if allowed to establish, especially to maples.

Led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), all levels of government worked to contain and eradicate the beetle before our trees and forests were decimated. An informed and active community was a critical element in this battle against the beetle. This brochure introduces the Asian long-horned beetle and addresses:

• how the beetle got to Canada, and what's at risk in this country
• which trees are attacked by the beetle, and how it kills
• how you can identify the beetle and infested trees
• what you can do to halt the spread of the beetle
• what government agencies are doing in Canada to combat the beetle.

For updates on the Asian long-horned beetle in Greater Toronto, visit inspection.gc.ca, mnr.gov.on.ca, toronto.ca/trees, vaughan.ca, york.ca/Departments/Transportation+and+Works/Forestry/ and trca.on.ca. If you think you've found an adult beetle or an infested tree, call the CFIA toll-free at 1-800-442-2342.

Alien Invader

Global trade is responsible for bringing the Asian long-horned beetle to North America. For decades, the beetle has attacked poplar and willows growing in plantations and windrows in agroforest landscapes in China. Infested wood from these plantations was turned into crates, pallets, spools and dunnage - cheap packing material for cargo carried by ships to overseas markets. Thus, infested cargo is the pathway by which this beetle came to North America.

The Asian long-horned beetle was first detected in the U.S. and Canada at ports and inland warehouses in the early 1990s. To date, at least 15 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces (British Columbia and Ontario) have reported interceptions at these locations.

Steps have been taken to prevent the re-entry of the beetle. Canadian officials imposed stringent entry requirements in 1999 for wood packing materials originating from China and Hong Kong, but the current infestation likely began before these measures were implemented. All non-manufactured wood must undergo kiln drying, fumigation or treatment with preservatives prior to export. In 2004, these conditions will apply to all countries except the U.S., which has similar rules in place.

The beetle is not new to North America - it has long been on the move. Infested trees were found in New York City and on Long Island, NY, in 1996, followed by Chicago, IL, in 1998 and Jersey City, NJ, in 2002. By October 2003, over 7,700 infested trees had been cut down in these areas.

Like many alien forest pests, the Asian long-horned beetle has no known natural predators in North America that can control its spread. Insecticides do not protect infested trees and only kill some beetles when applied to uninfested trees before attack.

What's at Risk?

Community quality of life: 50% of Toronto's street trees are maples - one of the beetle's preferred host species. These and other threatened hardwoods provide shade and beauty, shelter birds and animals, help filter air pollutants, produce oxygen, and increase property values.

The forest-based economy: Canada's commercial hardwood forests produce $11 billion in wood products annually. The maple syrup industry is worth another $100 million each year. Healthy forests also support tourism and recreation.

Ecological dynamics: Broad-leaved deciduous trees are a vital component of healthy woodlands in southern Canada. Many of Canada's endangered and threatened species are found in Ontario hardwood forests. Forest health and biodiversity are at stake.

If the Asian long-horned beetle goes unchecked, much of the fall colour in Toronto's parks and southern Canada's forests could be erased.

Unlike most other Canadian long-horned beetles that feed on dying or dead trees or cut timber, the Asian long-horned beetle attacks and kills apparently healthy trees. A look at its life cycle reveals how the beetle larvae kill trees and how the adult beetle and infested trees can be identified. In its native range in East Asia, the beetle has either a one- or two-year life cycle. Southern Canada's climate is well-suited to the beetle; our harsh winters do not pose a problem. Insulated by wood, the beetle overwinters either as an egg, larva or pupa.

Life cycle of the Asian long-horned beetle.
Photo Credit: Michael Bohne, University of Vermont

Click to enlarge

Egg

• each egg is deposited on the inner bark with one egg per pit
• eggs develop in 1-2 weeks (if laid in summer),
• or several months (if laid in late fall)

Larva

• young larvae generally feed for about 20 days in the sappy, green inner bark (cambium-phloem interface), thereby reducing nutrient and water transport within the tree
• older larvae (up to 5 cm in length) bore into the sapwood and heartwood, chewing tunnels through the trunk and branches, thereby structurally compromising the tree

Pupa

• mature larvae pupate in the wood in early spring - the stage between larva and adult

Adult

• adult beetles chew and emerge through exit holes in the bark, likely beginning in late June in Toronto
• female beetles undergo a sexual maturation period of 10-15 days, during which they disperse and feed; mating may occur during this period, but few eggs are laid
• female beetles chew egg pits (oviposition sites) through the bark of the host trees, deposit or inject a single egg within the cambium and plug the egg deposition channel
• adults cause external damage by feeding on young shoots, petioles, leaves and bark
• populations peak in July-August

Larval tunnels within an infested tree.
Photo Credit: Charles Harrington, Cornell University

Maples (Acer spp.) are among the preferred host species for the Asian long-horned beetle. Some of the infested trees found in Greater Toronto have been under attack for several years, as indicated by the presence of branch dieback and dead trees.

Beetles affect hardwood trees serving as hosts in various ways: (1) foliage may drop prematurely because adult beetles feed on leaf petioles and the leaves themselves; (2) eggs may be laid but fail to hatch; or eggs may be laid and hatch, but larval development fails to occur, thereby limiting damage to oviposition pits on trunks, branches or exposed roots; or (3) all stages of the beetle's life cycle are completed, and adults bore their way out of infested trees. Repeated attacks of this latter type can cause tree death in as little as two to five years depending upon beetle density and tree health before the attack.

Knowing which tree species are attacked and killed by the beetle is essential to any program of survey and treatment. Hardwood species in the Greater Toronto urban forest that are suitable for the full development of the Asian long-horned beetle are listed below. This list is based on field studies and laboratory research in China and the United States. Work is underway to determine the suitability of other hardwood species that are found in Greater Toronto, but not in China or in the infested areas of the United States.

Greater Toronto hardwoods suitable for full development of the Asian long-horned beetle

It is strongly recommended that no trees belonging to the above genera be planted within 400 metres of any treatment zone until the beetle has been eradicated.

Coniferous (i.e., evergreen) trees are not attacked by the Asian long-horned beetle and are never hosts. The beetle is not a structural pest - unlike termites, it does not attack construction wood in residences. The beetle will bite people only if threatened (such as when held in the hand and squeezed).

Recognizing Adult Beetles and Infested Trees

Being observant is the first line of neighbourhood defence against the Asian long-horned beetle. Because larvae and pupae are hidden inside infested trees for more that 10 months, focus your search on adult beetles.

Adult Beetles: Identification

1) Body

• glossy black with from 0 to 20 irregular white spots on the back (giving rise to the beetle's Chinese name, translated as "starry sky beetle")
• bullet-shaped
• length - 1.7 to 3.5 centimetres, with females generally larger than males

2) Antennae (there are two antennae)

• long (1 to 1.3 times the body length in females, 2.5 times the body length in males)
• 11 black segments with whitish-blue base

3) Legs (there are six legs)

• black with bluish-white tinge

Female (top) and male (bottom) adult Asian long-horned beetles, shown at actual size. Both can be confused with other species like the white-spotted sawyer, which is common in Ontario. For information about look-alikes, see http://www.inspection.gc.ca/ and www.uvm.edu/albeetle/identification/index.html

Photo Credit: USDA, Forest Service

How to Look:
A good pair of "bird-watching" binoculars with a wide field of view and good light-capturing ability is best. Such binoculars enable you to see deeper into a dark canopy than you can with the naked eye, even at close range. Looking with the sun at your back is best.

Where to Look:
In the Landscape: (1) street and backyard trees; (2) isolated or open grown trees in parks and cemeteries; (3) hedgerows; (4) edges of woodlots or ravines.

In Trees:
(1) male beetles either rest or wander throughout the tree in search of female beetles and thus can been seen anywhere on the tree; (2) female beetles rest, chew egg pits and lay eggs on branches and the trunk (more than 5 cm in diameter), or feed on shoots, petioles or leaves. The location of females in trees attacked for the first time will depend on tree size: in large trees, female beetles can be seen laying eggs on higher branches, whereas in small trees (less than 16 cm diameter at breast height), females can be found lower on the trunk. When a tree has been attacked for several years, female beetles are found laying eggs lower on the trunk of even large trees because preferred oviposition sites have been used-up.

When To Look:
Based on U.S. experience, and on a mathematical model predicting adult emergence that uses our temperature records, adults are likely active in Greater Toronto between late June and early November. Their peak months for flying and mating are probably July and August.

Infested Trees

Hardwoods of any age or size are attacked - check young saplings with stems over 5 cm as well as mature trees, focusing on the tree species (list). Do not check evergreens like pine, hemlock, spruce or cedar, as they are not host species for the Asian long-horned beetle.

Signs of beetle damage on host trees include:

1) Egg-pits (created by adult females laying eggs)

• oval or round pits, 10-15 mm in diameter
• found on the trunk, branches or exposed roots (more than 5 cm in diameter)

Adult beetles and egg-laying sites.
Photo Credit: Kenneth R. Law, USDA, APHIS

2) Leaking sap

• dark spots on trunk and branches around egg pits created by adults, or near cracks or holes created by larvae wasps, ants, flies, scarab beetles, butterflies and other insects are attracted by the sap and may be seen around these spots

Egg-laying sites leaking sap.
Photo Credit: CFIA

3) Frass (mixture of wood and dung created by larvae boring in wood)

• short slivers or strands of wood fibres (1-1.5 cm long)
• found either at bark crevices, at tree joints (where branches meet the main trunk), or around the base of infested trees

(left) Frass in a tree joint.
Photo Credit: CFIA

4) Exit holes (created by adult beetles emerging from inside tree)

• large round holes, 10-15 mm in diameter
• typically found near egg-laying sites
• irregularly distributed - holes in a horizontal line are likely the work of woodpeckers

A pen or pencil will fit easily into an exit hole.

5) Yellow or drooping leaves and premature leaf drop

• premature leaf drop, specifically where the base of the leaf petiole has been chewed on or scarred, where the outer tissue of the petiole has been chewed off, or where portions of main leaf veins or tissue has been removed by feeding adults

6) Branch dieback

• an advanced sign of attack
• typically begins at the top of the tree

When To Look
The search for evidence of infested trees can take place year-round.

Battling the Beetle

Eradicating the Asian long-horned beetle will be a long, difficult and expensive process requiring significant resources and commitment. The American experience is instructive. Federal, state and city officials adopted a US$365 million plan in 2000 to eradicate the beetle by 2009 in New York City and Chicago. The target date has now been pushed back to 2018 due to federal budget cuts. More beetles and infested trees have since been found in these cities.

Work is underway to find more effective detection, control and eradication methods. Success also requires co-operation and co-ordination among many partners. Moreover, battling the beetle is not the work of government alone - support from residents, tenants, property owners, employees, arborists, landscapers and naturalists is essential.

What You Can Do

Alert and observant citizens - not pest specialists - first discovered the Asian long-horned beetle in New York City, Chicago, Jersey City and Greater Toronto. All community members, including tree-care and landscape professionals, can help beat the beetle through an 8-step program:

1) Learn to recognize what adult beetles and infested trees look like. Know the beetle's host tree species.

2) Alert your family, friends and co-workers to the threat posed by the beetle.

3) Watch for signs of infestation on public and private property. Check trees along streets, in backyards, and in parks, ravines and valleys. Binoculars will help.

4) Report any suspected sightings of adult beetles or infested trees to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) at 1-800-442-2342. If you catch a beetle, let the CFIA know immediately. Be careful that you do not risk letting the beetle escape to a new location. Report the exact location where the beetle was found. For infested trees, report the exact location, type of damage, and site of damage on the tree.

5) Know if your property lies within the regulated area. This area is bounded by Highways 401/409, Highway 27/York Regional Road 27, Rutherford Road/York Regional Road 73 and Dufferin Street/York Regional Road 53/William R. Allen Road. For a current map, visit http://www.inspection.gc.ca/

6) Don't remove any restricted woody material from the regulated area. This includes firewood of all tree species along with nursery stock, trees, logs, lumber and wood with bark attached, wood chips or bark chips from trees identified as hosts for the Asian long-horned beetle. This material can accidentally spread the beetle to uninfested areas. Leaf and yard waste in the regulated area of Toronto (south of Steeles Avenue) is picked up by Works and Emergency Services and transferred to a designated facility. Call customer service at 311 for information, or see the collection calendars for residential single family homes at http://www.toronto.ca/garbage/

For information on approved disposal sites for the tree-care industry, call the CFIA (416-665-5055), the City of Toronto (3-1-1) or the City of Vaughan (905 832-8562) .

7) If you own property in an infested area, expect several visits from CFIA inspectors. They will survey all known and potential host trees, likely on several occasions. They will remove infested and potentially infested trees. Don't cut down infested trees - let CFIA-approved professionals do the work. There is no charge to you for this service and you may be eligible for compensation through the tree replacement program.

8) Plant either conifer trees or hardwood trees suggested in the following chart. Use the chart as a guide for appropriate species and planting locations. For more advice, call your municipal forestry office. Once the beetle has been eradicated from Greater Toronto, you will be able to plant other hardwood species.

Trees Suggested for Planting in Greater Toronto Infestation Areas

* Suitability of a species to a site is also determined by environmental factors such as soil drainage, texture (sand or clay content) and shade. For planting tips, including a list of species native to Toronto, visit http://www.toronto.ca/trees/.

** Not recommended due to the threat posed by the emerald ash borer, an alien forest pest that has recently infested southwestern Ontario. The City of Toronto has adopted a policy of not planting ash trees along streets or in parks until further notice. For more information, visit http://www.toronto.ca/trees/ and http://www.inspection.gc.ca/.

*** Unless the tree is more than 5 metres from curb.

The Greater Toronto regulated area, February 2004. The movement of woody material out of or through this area is regulated and requires a Movement Certificate issued by the CFIA. For a current map, visit http://www.inspection.gc.ca/

Some residential trees suggested for planting in Greater Toronto infestation areas:
Canada red chokecherry in late spring (Prunus virginiana cultivar)
Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)
Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana)
Turkish hazel (Corylus colurna)
Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
Redbud with spring flowers (Cercis canadensis)

Photo Credit: Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation

What Government Agencies Are Doing

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the lead government agency. The CFIA is working with the City of Toronto, the Canadian Forest Service, several branches of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (ie. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Forest Service (FS), the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Toronto and Region Conservation, the Regional Municipality of York, and the City of Vaughan on an aggressive campaign to control and eradicate the Asian long-horned beetle in Greater Toronto.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Under the Plant Protection Act , the CFIA is responsible for preventing the entry and spread of pests of quarantine significance into Canada. The CFIA has the authority to conduct eradication projects and has regulatory authority in the control of pest situations.

Inspectors designated by the CFIA have wide powers to control and eradicate pests like the Asian long-horned beetle. For example, inspectors can:

• enter and inspect public and private property to detect pests or ensure compliance with the
• Plant Protection Act and its regulations
• seize, treat or destroy infested or potentially infested trees and wood
• require owners of infested or potentially infested trees and wood to treat or destroy it.

An Action Plan for Greater Toronto

Eliminating the Asian long-horned beetle requires action on three fronts: breaking the pathway of pest introduction; eradicating all known infestations; and finding any undetected infestations. The CFIA has already addressed the pathway issue nation-wide through its import requirements for solid wood packing material. Work on the other two fronts is now underway in Greater Toronto. A science group and a communications group support this effort. The science group makes research- and experience-based recommendations that shape operational policy. The communications group is responsible for public education and awareness and the ongoing involvement of stakeholders in the project.

On the ground, the eradication project consists of four activities - survey, containment, treatment and replanting.

1) Survey

Surveys determine the limits of beetle infestation. Intensive surveys of public and private trees within 800 metres of all infestation sites are being carried out by ground, bucket truck and tree-climbing crews. This involves visually checking all parts of host or potential host trees that have woody stems greater than 5 cm in diameter. Climbers use binoculars to check parts of the tree canopy that cannot be reached while climbing. All surveyed trees are individually tagged and photographed for future reference. If not removed immediately, each tree may be surveyed several times within the next few years. The duration of this survey will be determined by the CFIA.

A more extensive survey, covering 169 square kilometres, has also been completed. Visual inspections by crews focused on public street trees. A modified approach to surveillance was used in ravines, where prominent host trees were climbed and checked in detail.

Surveys will continue to be carried out in Greater Toronto for the next several years. As the beetle's presence is not readily apparent in the early stages of infestation, it is important to use experienced staff for surveillance work. Constant vigilance by residents, especially during the summer and fall months when adult beetles are active, is also critical.

2) Containment

Containment prevents the spread of the beetle beyond the current infestation area. In February 2004, the federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food issued a Ministerial Order under the Plant Protection Act and Regulations . The movement of firewood of all tree species along with nursery stock, trees, leaves, logs, lumber, wood chips and bark chips from trees belonging to the genera on page 7 is now prohibited or restricted within the regulated area. Movement of this material out of or through the regulated area requires a Movement Certificate issued by the CFIA.

The disposal site for wood waste in Toronto is the Emery Yard, 27 Toryork Road. The hours of operation are Monday - Friday 7 am-3 pm (closed on weekends). If you live in Vaughan, please call City of Vaughan, Public Works, 905-832-8562 for disposal information.

A forestry crew inspects an infested tree in northwestern Toronto.
Photo Credit: CFIA

The treatment program takes a zonal approach (See maps 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 below). Clusters of infested trees constitute a primary zone. Concentric rings with radii of 400 and 800 meters have been drawn around each primary zone to create secondary and tertiary zones. This eradication plan is based on previous research on Asian long-horned beetle dispersal patterns. About 99% of the beetle population is found within 400 meters of the last known infested tree. Nearly 100% of the population is found within 800 meters. Signs of infestation can be very difficult to detect. In Chicago, data has shown that inspectors finding all infested trees have been no more than 70% effective. Eradication of the beetle requires the treatment of both infested and host trees.

In the first eight months of the eradication program, four infested areas were identified in Greater Toronto-a core area centered on Steeles Avenue West, and three satellite areas (See the 2003/2004 map below). All infested and host trees were removed from the primary and secondary zone of the core area and of the northern satellite. Infested trees only were removed from the other two satellite areas. More than 15,000 host trees were removed in Greater Toronto between November 2003 and March 2004. In the summer of 2004, an intensive monitoring program was implemented to survey another 40,000 host trees growing in the secondary and tertiary zones. As a result of this survey, nine additional locations with infested trees were detected in 2004 and 2005. (See the 2004/2005 map below). All infested and host material within a 400 meter radius of infested trees have been, or will be, treated resulting in the removal of an additional 8,000 host trees. Survey of the tertiary and of the containment zones (in purple) by ground and tree-climbing crews is continuing. In addition, crews are dispatched to locations within the GTA that are reported as suspects by the public. A successful eradication program requires ongoing monitoring for several years after the signs of infestations have disappeared.

Infestation zones in Greater Toronto in 2003/2004
Click to enlarge

Infestation zones in Greater Toronto in 2004/2005
Click to enlarge

These zones lie within a larger regulated area, where the movement of woody material is prohibited or restricted. For current maps of the infestation zones and the regulated area, visit http://www.inspection.gc.ca/.

4) Replanting

Replanting establishes new trees in the infestation area as soon as possible after tree removal. Until the Asian long-horned beetle is eradicated, municipal foresters will plant only species with a low risk of being infested.

Municipal staff are working with the CFIA, Ministry of Natural Resources, Trees Canada, York Region and Toronto and Region Conservation on a long-term reforestation strategy for Toronto and Vaughan. This includes looking for sources of funding beyond the property tax base. In February 2004, the government of Ontario announced that up to $1 million would be allocated to plant new trees in areas affected by the Asian long-horned beetle (in Toronto and Vaughan) and the emerald ash borer (in southwestern Ontario). In May 2004, the CFIA announced a tree replacement program to compensate for trees ordered destroyed to prevent the spread of the Asian long-horned beetle in parts of Toronto and Vaughan, Ontario. This program is intended to compensate those who lost trees due to the Agency's control and eradication measures for this invasive pest between November 2003 and December 31, 2004. To obtain detailed information on the CFIA's Compensation Plan visit www.inspection.gc.ca or call 1-800-442-2342. There are other sources of funding as well. Tree Canada Foundation is helping raise awareness and money by pooling donations from individuals and companies to replace trees lost to this beetle. York Region has currently allocated $50,000 toward replacement of trees in Vaughan.

Renewing the Urban Forest

Even if the Asian long-horned beetle's attack can be limited to those areas currently infested in Greater Toronto, the removal of thousands of trees will dramatically change the urban forest and the appearance of many neighbourhoods. Will anything positive emerge from this devastation?

As a clear and present danger to the urban forest, the beetle has underscored the need to improve tree care in cities. Renewing the urban forest means many things. It means planting more trees, and a greater number of tree species, to expand and diversify the forest canopy. It means ensuring that trees have an adequate growing environment, including soil, space and water. It means controlling invasive, non-native species that undermine the local ecology.

Renewing the urban forest means that we all must think seriously about the needs and the benefits of city trees, and then develop and implement a plan of action. This is not a job for government alone - as the beetle battle has demonstrated, success requires the support and participation of an active and aware community.

Community stewardship is essential to renewing the urban forest and responding to threats like the Asian long-horned beetle.

Photo Credit: Parks, Forestry & Recreation

Information Sources for the Asian Long-horned Beetle

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• Toronto and Region Conservation
• City of Toronto, Urban Forestry Services
• Regional Municipality of York, Forestry Division
• City of Vaughan, Parks and Forestry Department
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beneficial Insects Introduction Research
• U.S. Forest Service, Northeastern Area, St. Paul Field Office
• University of Vermont, Entomology Research Laboratory

Related links

• Parks, Forestry & Recreation
• Clean & Beautiful City Page
• Parks & Gardens
• Parks & Trails & Cycling Map
• Trees Across Toronto
• Children's Environmental Programs