South Carolina Asian Longhorned Beetle Quarantine

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

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APHIS-23-011 | March 2023 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) and Clemson University’s 

Department of Plant Industry established 

a quarantine, or regulated area, in South 

Carolina because Asian longhorned 

beetle (ALB) is infesting trees in 

Charleston and Dorchester counties. 

Quarantines help eliminate the beetle 

by limiting the movement of ALB host 

materials, or regulated articles, which 

keeps infestations from spreading to 

new locations.

If you live or work in the regulated 

area, you may not move, carry, 

transport, or ship regulated articles 

outside of ALB regulated areas (or 

authorize or allow any other person 

to do the same) without authorization 

from Clemson University’s 

Department of Plant Industry.

What is regulated?

Woody debris, dead or living, and green 

lumber from all ALB host trees are 

regulated. ALB host trees include maple, 

elm, willow, birch, poplar, buckeye / 

horsechestnut, ash, sycamore, mimosa, 

goldenrain tree, katsura, and mountain 

ash, are all regulated. Firewood from all 

hardwood species is also regulated. The 

ALB program prohibits the movement of 

regulated articles to areas outside the 

ALB-regulated area. Federal and State 

laws outline the conditions and 

requirements for moving regulated 

articles out of or within the infested 

areas. 

Where is the quarantine?

The quarantine is a 76.38 square mile 

area centered near the intersection of 

Highway 17 and State Route 162 in 

Hollywood. It includes portions of 

Hollywood, Ravenel, Johns Island, 

Charleston, and Dorchester County. The 

quarantine may change if new infested 

trees are found or as eradication efforts 

succeed. Maps can be found online at: 

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

What laws or authority does 

the program operate under?

The ALB program operates under the 

authority provided by the Plant 

Protection Act of 2000, and similar State 

authorities to detect, control, eradicate, 

suppress, and prevent the spread of 

plant pests. Federal regulations can be 

found in the Code of Federal Regulations, 

specifically under Title 7, section 301.51. 

South Carolina State laws can be found 

in the South Carolina Chapter 27 

Statutory Authority: 1976 Code Sections 

46-9-40, 46-9-50, and 46-9-60, Regulation 

27-58 – Asian Longhorned Beetle 

Quarantine.

How can I dispose of woody 

debris? 

If you live in the regulated area, you can: 

• Take woody debris to the Bees Ferry 

Landfill, the Hollywood Convenience 

Center, and other businesses located 

in the regulated area that accept 

woody debris. 

• Burn woody debris on your property, 

unless prohibited by local 

ordinances. 

• Leave woody debris on your 

property to decompose.

If you have questions, please call the ALB 

office at 843-973-8329. 

Can I still work in the regulated 

area if I own or work for a

company that handles regulated 

articles?

Companies that handle regulated articles, 

such as tree removal companies, 

landscapers, construction or land clearing 

companies, nurseries, and firewood 

dealers, should talk with the South 

Carolina ALB program before conducting 

any work within the regulated area. We 

recommend your company enter into a 

compliance agreement, to obtain permits 

or certificates that allow your company to 

handle regulated articles and/or transport 

regulated articles out of the regulated area.

Map of the South Carolina Asian longhorned beetle 

quarantine in Charleston and Dorchester counties 
How do I get a Compliance 

Agreement? 

To enter into a Compliance Agreement, 

you must first attend a free 1-hour 

training workshop given by ALB 

eradication program officials to educate 

you and your staff on ALB and the 

regulations. ALB program officials will 

gather information about the nature of 

your business operations and use that 

information to draft a Compliance 

Agreement catered to the work that you 

conduct. All employees of the businesses 

and companies seeking compliance 

agreements are urged to attend this 

training. At the conclusion of the 

training, the South Carolina ALB program 

will issue a Compliance Agreement to an 

individual, business, or company official 

that is valid for one year. Compliance 

Agreements must be renewed. 

What are the penalties for 

violating the quarantine?

Any person who knowingly violates the 

quarantine may be criminally prosecuted 

and found guilty of a misdemeanor. This 

could result in penalties, a one-year 

prison term, or both. Additionally, civil 

penalties of up to $594,129 per violation 

may be assessed. More importantly, 

violating the quarantine may spread the 

ALB infestation, which will impact the 

community and regional forests by 

extending the time it will take to achieve 

eradication. 

How can I help?

To support ALB eradication efforts, 

please allow program officials access to 

your property to perform surveys and 

related work. This includes locating ALB 

host trees and inspecting them for signs 

of infestation; removing infested trees 

and, in some cases, high-risk host trees 

near infested trees; or applying control 

treatments to host trees. ALB program 

officials and specified contractors carry 

out these activities on residential, 

municipal, parkland, and business 

properties. There is no cost to 

homeowners for removing ALB-infested 

trees. 

You can also watch for signs of ALB and 

report suspected infestation to the ALB 

Program. The adult ALB is a distinctivelooking insect measuring 1 to 1 1⁄2 inches 

long, not including its antennae. In 

females, the antennae are as long as the 

body itself. In males, they are almost 

twice the length of the body. The insect’s 

body is shiny and black with irregular 

white spots. The long antennae are 

banded in black and white. Trees with 

ALB can show several signs that they are 

infested. Look for:

• Adult beetles in early summer to fall

• Round holes at least 3/8 of an inch 

in diameter on tree trunks and 

limbs

• Accumulation of sawdust-like 

material (called “frass”) around 

base of tree or branches

• Small, roundish pockmarks on 

bark, chewed by the female beetle 

to lay eggs

• Oozing sap from wounds on 

branches and trunks, especially on 

maple trees

• Dieback in tree canopy or 

unseasonable change in leaf color

To report a suspected ALB 

infestation in South Carolina, 

please call: 

843-973-8329 or 1-866-702-9938 

or report online at 

www.AsianLonghornedBeetle.com 

For more information about ALB, 

please visit: 

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

South Carolina ALB Eradication Program

5306 Dixie Plantation Road 

Hollywood, SC 29406

Phone: 843-973-8329

Email: stopALB@clemson.edu

Dying Asian longhorned beetle infested maple tree 

found in Hollywood, South Carolina

USDA official in South Carolina holds a live Asian 

longhorned beetle