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John Dodd (301) 734-5175

Jim Rogers (202) 720-2511

**USDA TO CONTINUE TREE TREATMENTS IN JERSEY CITY AND HOBOKEN FOR ASIAN
LONGHORNED BEETLE**

JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 22, 2005---The U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will treat approximately 900
trees susceptible to the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in Jersey City
and Hoboken, N.J. APHIS will begin the treatments April 25, as a
critical part of its on--going Asian longhorned beetle cooperative
eradication program's effort to prevent further infestation of this
destructive pest.

The trees will be treated with the insecticide imidacloprid, which has
displayed promising results in past treatments.

Program officials, through the use of certified pesticide applicator
contractors, will administer the treatments by either injecting the
insecticide into the tree through small capsules placed at the base of
the tree's trunk or by injecting it into the soil surrounding the tree.
Each site will be closely monitored.

The insecticide is dispersed through the tree's vascular system. This
enables the insecticide to reach ALB adults feeding on small twigs and
leaves and the larvae feeding beneath the bark of host trees.
Imidacloprid is currently used by some lawn service companies to kill
lawn grubs and in some domestic pet treatments to kill fleas.

The larvae of the ALB bore into healthy hardwood trees and feed on
living tree tissue and heartwood. Later, throughout the summer, adult
beetles emerge from exit holes and briefly feed on the leaves and small
twigs of host trees. To fight this destructive invader, agriculture
officials removed and destroyed 461 trees in Jersey City.

APHIS and its cooperators undertake eradication by imposing quarantines,
conducting intensified visual inspections around confirmed sites to
delimit infestations, remove infested and high--risk exposed host trees
and chemically treat host trees as part of an area--wide integrated pest
management strategy. The goal is to eliminate this destructive insect
from New Jersey before it can establish itself elsewhere.

Residents can assist in the eradication effort by allowing project
officials access to their property to treat trees. For more information
on the treatment program, call (201) 533-9610.

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The public can also help by looking for ALB, which is about 1 to 1.5
inches long, has a shiny jet black body with distinctive white spots and
long antennae that are banded with black and white. To report a sighting
of this insect, call 1-866-BEETLE1.

APHIS, USDA's Forest Service and Agricultural Research Service, New
Jersey Department of Agriculture and the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection participate in the ALB cooperative eradication
program. For more information, visit the APHIS Web site at
www.aphis.usda.gov/alb.

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