Adult Asian Longhorned Beetles (ALB) are active from late July through September. The ALB (Anoplophora glabripennis) is an invasive wood-boring insect that feeds on a variety of hardwoods including maple, birch, elm, ash, poplar, horsechestnut, and willow, among others.

Native to China and Korea, the beetles are approximately 1.5 inches long and shiny black, with white spots on their wing cases. They have black and white antennae that can be up to twice as long as their body. (They should not be confused with the native white-spotted pine sawyer, which has a distinctive white spot on their back, below their head.)

If they are in your neighborhood, it’s possible one will end up in your pool. The more “eyes” we have looking for infestations, the better chance of finding new ones early and eliminating them. ALB attacks and kills hardwoods, and they emerge from infested trees in the late summer to find a new host.

The DEC invites pool owners to check filters for the invasive insect regularly and submit a report if any are found. YOU are the key to keeping our forests free of ALB.

How to Check Your Pool for ALB

Inspect your filter. From late July until you close your pool, look at the debris you collect in your pool filter or skimmer.

Look for ALB. ALB is in the Family Cerambycidae, the longhorned beetles. Use the visual aids in the Pool Survey Guide (PDF) to help you know what to look for.

Take a photo. Photograph any insect you think might be ALB. The photo needs to include a good view of the insect’s back.

Send the photo to DEC. There are two ways you can send photos. Please include your name and address.

DEC photos.

• Email: Send an email to foresthealth@dec.ny.gov with the subject heading “ALB Pool Survey”.
• Mail: Send a printed image to the Forest Health Diagnostic Lab at 108 Game Farm Road, Delmar, NY 12054.

Save the insect. Freeze the insect in a plastic bag or Tupperware container until you hear back from us.

No pool? You can still help!

Look for the telltale signs of ALB damage on your trees, such as exit holes, accumulation of coarse sawdust, pits in the bark, and oozing sap. See our Asian longhorned beetle webpage for photos of these signs, and contact DEC if you notice any in trees near you.

Watch a short video about how pool owners can help us watch for Asian longhorned beetle and check out other clips on DEC’s YouTube Channel.

For more information contact:
Jessica Cancelliere
Email: foresthealth@dec.ny.gov
Phone: (518) 478-7813

Photo at top: Asian Longhorned Beetle. NYS DEC photo.