Tree Inspections for Asian Longhorned Beetle

www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/alb

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APHIS-22-052 | Issued October 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 

(USDA) Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) and its 

partners inspect trees in areas suspected 

to have—or quarantined for—the Asian 

longhorned beetle (ALB). ALB is an 

invasive insect that feeds on and 

eventually kills maple and other 

hardwood trees. Tree inspections help 

determine how large an infestation is, if 

the beetle is in other areas, and when 

quarantines can be removed. Inspecting 

trees is part of the approach used to 

eradicate ALB, which can also include 

enacting quarantines, removing infested 

and at-risk host trees, and using 

insecticides.

You can help by allowing ALB program 

officials access to your property to 

inspect trees.

How do tree inspections help 

fight ALB?

ALB program officials look at trees that 

ALB attacks for signs of damage caused 

by the beetle and the beetle itself. This 

work helps find ALB and the trees the 

beetle is infesting. The sooner we find 

ALB and any infested trees, the sooner 

we can eliminate the beetle from your 

area. 

When do tree inspections 

happen?

If the weather allows, ALB program 

officials inspect trees year-round. 

Inspections typically take place Monday 

through Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 

4:00 p.m. When needed, inspections may 

happen on Saturdays.

How will I know you are an ALB 

program official?

ALB program officials are either USDA, 

State, or contracted employees. We wear 

high-visibility vests, shirts, or jackets, 

and we carry official photo identification.

What trees are inspected?

We inspect trees that ALB attacks: maple, 

box elder, horse chestnut, buckeye, 

mimosa, birch, katsura tree, ash, golden 

raintree, sycamore, London planetree, 

poplar, willow, mountain ash, and elm.

How do you inspect my trees?

We inspect trees with binoculars to look 

at them from the ground, via bucket 

trucks to look at treetops, and by 

climbing trees to look within tree 

canopies. We also collect data about each 

tree. 

What data are you collecting? 

We collect information about the tree, 

including the species; its size and location 

on your property; and what our inspection 

found, such as any ALB damage (like exit 

holes, egg sites, tunneling) or no damage.

Can I perform tree inspections 

myself?

If you live in or near an ALB-regulated area, 

trained ALB program officials and 

contractors perform property-wide tree 

inspections to determine if any tree on the 

property is infested or not. And you can 

inspect your trees anytime and let us know 

if you find any signs of damage caused by 

the beetle or the beetle itself. To make a 

! 

ALB program officials inspecting trees for signs of Asian longhorned beetle in Massachusetts
report, please call 1-866-702-9938 or visit 

www.AsianLonghornedBeetle.com.

How can I be sure your 

inspections are accurate?

We are trained to recognize and identify 

different tree types, all ALB life stages 

from eggs to larva to adult beetles, and 

all the tree damage the insect causes. 

Plus, our inspection process includes 

quality assurance work to ensure our 

inspections and the data we collect are 

accurate.

How long will inspections take? 

The time it takes to complete inspections 

depends on many things, from the 

number and size of host trees surveyed 

on the property to the acreage and 

terrain. The season and weather 

conditions can slow down survey; for 

example, it is hard to see beetle damage 

on wet trees. Other potential hazards, 

such as high winds and powerlines, can 

also impede survey.

Can you inspect my trees another 

time?

If there are activities happening on your 

property, such as an event, crop harvest, 

or hunting, we can reschedule tree 

inspections to take place after these 

activities are done. 

How will I know if my tree is 

infested?

If your tree is infested, we will paint 

orange dots around the tree and/or a 

diagonal slash, tag the tree with a unique 

ID, and eventually remove the tree at no 

cost to you. If the tree does not show 

signs of being infested, we will mark the 

tree with a forest marking crayon that 

indicates the inspection has occurred. If 

survey results are inconclusive, we may 

mark the tree for follow-up inspection 

with striped flagging tape and a tree tag, 

which may be a metal tag or barcode. If 

safe to do so, tree climbers will conduct 

the follow-up inspection and make the 

final determination if the tree is infested. 

If the tree is unsafe to climb, we will 

discuss alternative options with you, 

such as tree removal.

An Asian longhorned beetle-infested red maple 

tree marked for removal in Ohio

How many times will my trees be 

inspected? 

If you live in an ALB-quarantined area, 

we will likely inspect your trees many 

times until the quarantine is removed. 

Even if we don’t find signs of ALB on your 

property initially, your tree could still 

become infested if there are infested 

trees in the quarantine.

When are ALB quarantines 

removed?

ALB quarantines are removed when final 

tree inspections show there are no 

infested trees remaining. It takes a 

minimum of 4 years between finding an 

infested tree and conducting the final 

tree inspections. Your property may not 

have any infested trees, but it could 

remain quarantined until the final tree 

inspections are completed throughout 

the quarantine.

Do you inspect trees outside of 

the quarantine? 

Sometimes we inspect trees outside of 

the ALB quarantine. Tree inspections can 

happen on properties where ALBinfested tree material may have been 

moved, such as businesses that work 

with raw woody materials; if a suspected 

infested tree is reported; or if an infested 

tree is found close to the quarantine 

boundary.

For more information about ALB:

www.aphis.usda.gov/pests-diseases/alb