Insect traps are used to monitor DFTM each year throughout eastern Washington in hopes of obtaining early warning of an imminent outbreak. Trap catches in 1996 - 1998 have showed an increasing trend. Defoliation was observed in 1998 on ornamental Colorado blue spruce trees in Meade and Winthrop, also a precursor to forest defoliation. No forest defoliation has been observed in 1998. It is expected to occur in 1999 or 2000.
Exotic pests are of extreme interest and concern to the forestry community.
In July an Asian long-horned beetle was recovered from a pallet in the Port of Bellingham. These beetles travel here from China in infested low-grade wooden packing material. They are easily capable of becoming established in Washington and killing bigleaf maple and other hardwood tree species. Infestations have been detected in street trees in Chicago and New York. Thus far, our detections have been confined to wooden packing material.