Our maple trees face a growing threat - a destructive, wood-boring insect named the Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis). The beetle has been repeatedly introduced into the U.S., most likely in wood packaging material (such as crates and pallets) from Asia.
It was first discovered in the U.S. in 1996 and has infested areas in New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, and most recently South Carolina. The Asian long-horned beetle has no natural enemies in the U.S. and our trees have little natural resistance to it, so it has the potential to destroy millions of acres of treasured hardwoods, from national forests to backyard trees.
This is just one story about how invasive forest pests are threatening US trees.
#stopforestpests @treeSMARTtrade
