Asian Longhorned Beetle Quarantine Lifted at State Park and Campground
ODA, ODNR, USDA Deregulate Portion of East Fork State Park
CLERMONT COUNTY, OH (April 15, 2022) - The Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) quarantine has been lifted in parts of East Fork State Park and its campground, a sign of exciting progress in the overall ALB eradication process.
ODA, ODNR and USDA held a joint press conference on Friday, April 15 at the East Fork State Park north shore boat ramp to announce the milestone.
ODA’s ALB Eradication Program surveyed more than 66,000 trees, performed multiple rounds of campground surveys, and conducted in-person outreach for continued education on the ALB. With the cooperation from the local community and support from government partnerships, 7.5 square miles of East Fork State Park just north of the lake have been deregulated. This declaration lifts certain restrictions, including the movement of firewood out of the campground.
The Asian Longhorned Beetle can cause serious damage to Ohio’s trees. ALB adults emerge from the trees throughout the summer, with the chances of seeing adult beetles peaking in August. Checking trees for the beetle and damage it causes is one way residents can protect their own trees and help the efforts to eliminate this invasive beetle from the United States.
As a reminder, the quarantine remains in place for Tate Township and other areas in East Fork State Park, including the East Fork State Park Wildlife Area.
ALB was first discovered in Tate Township, Clermont County in June 2011. Since then, over 112,000 trees have been removed to stop the spread of this pest in Ohio.
ALB is an invasive wood-boring beetle that attacks 12 types of hardwood trees in Ohio, such as maples, elms, birches, willows and Ohio’s official state tree, the buckeye. The beetle creates tunnels as it feeds then chews its way out as an adult in the warmer months, typically around August. Infested trees do not recover, eventually die, and can become safety hazards since their weakened branches can drop and trees can fall over, especially during storms.
The beetle has bright and distinctive markings that are easy to recognize:
- Black and white antennae that are longer than the beetle’s body.
- A shiny black body with white spots that is about 1” to 1 ½” long.
- Six legs and feet that can appear bluish in color.
Signs that a tree might be infested include round exit holes in tree trunks and branches, about the size of a dime or smaller and shallow oval or round scars in the bark where the adult beetle chewed an egg site. There may also be sawdust-like material, called frass, on the branches or ground around the tree and dead branches or limbs falling from an otherwise healthy-looking tree.
This invasive beetle poses a great threat to Ohio’s hardwood forests (more than $2.5 billion in standing maple timber) and the state’s $5 billion nursery industry, which employs nearly 240,000 people.
If you think you’ve seen the beetle or signs of infestation, please contact the Ohio ALB eradication program office at 513-381-7180 or email ALB@agri.ohio.gov. If possible, capture the insect, place it in a jar and freeze it for identification. If you have a camera, take photos of the insect and the damage to your trees.
Read more about the Asian Longhorned Beetle here.
VIDEO: Asian Longhorned Beetle
SOUND: Courtney Fulks, ODA Inspection Manager, Phillip Baldauf, USDA APHIS Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program Director; Interviews