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John Dodd (301) 734-5175

Jim Rogers (202) 720-2511

**USDA TO CONTINUE TREE TREATMENTS IN CHICAGO FOR ASIAN LONGHORNED
BEETLE**

CHICAGO, April 15, 2005---The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service will treat approximately 4,000 trees
susceptible to the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in Chicago. APHIS will
begin the treatments April 18, as a critical part of its on--going ALB
cooperative eradication program's effort to prevent further infestation
of this destructive pest.

The trees, located around Chicago's Oz Park, 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 1,533 trees in and around the city of
Chicago.

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 Chicago 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 (312) 742-3385. The public can also help
by looking for ALB, which is about 1 to 1.5 inches long, has a shiny jet

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black body with distinctive white spots and long antennae that are
banded with black and white. To report a sighting of this insect, call
1-800-641-3934.

APHIS, USDA's Forest Service and Agricultural Research Service, Illinois
Department of Agriculture and the Chicago Department of Streets and
Sanitation's Bureau of Forestry 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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Note to Reporters: USDA news releases, program announcements and media
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