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.

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