LATEST NEWS:

• Download a copy of the new "Asian Longhorned Beetle Look-alikes" mini-poster. (1/28/2010)
• Download a map showing the 2010 Projected Program Plan for tree surveys and preventative treatment in the Greater Worcester area. Please note that this is a projected plan, and subject to revision. (12/08/2009)
• A public meeting was held at Quinsigamond Community College on Monday, November 23 at 5:30pm to update residents in the Greater Worcester area about the ALB Eradication Program. Download a flyer here. (11/16/2009)
• Notice from the USDA about pilot program to test efficacy of fall pesticide treatments to protect host trees. (11/15/2009)
• Check out our new ALB tree guide, a high-quality pdf meant to be printed double-sided and taken out into the field. (10/22/2009)
• The regulated area has been expanded to include all of West Boylston, for a total of 74 square miles. Download a map here and read the 7th Amended Order here. (09/23/2009)
• A Sixth Amended Order to Suppress and Control Nuisance Conditions and Regulated Articles has been released, to recognize that Katsura tree Cercidiphyllum japonicum is now a confirmed host for the Asian longhorned beetle (09/14/2009)
• Become "friends" with the Asian longhorned beetle on Facebook. (09/04/2009)
• Governor Declares August to be Asian Longhorned Beetle Awareness Month:
  It was just over a year ago that the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) was first reported by Worcester resident Donna Massie. Since that time, local, state, and federal entities have joined together to fight the infestation of an invasive pest that has caused negative impact to the City of Worcester and placed the Commonwealth as well as the entire Northeastern United States on high alert. To this end, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has worked with the Governor’s Office to declare August as Asian Longhorned Beetle Awareness Month, with the goal of encouraging every resident in the Commonwealth to learn to identify and report sightings of this invasive insect. View the full Proclamation here.
• Information about the ALB Reforestation Plantings planned for the Worcester area is now available here. (08/20/2009)
• Follow the Asian longhorned beetle on Twitter: albtweets (05/28/2009)
• Our Media and Outreach page contains photos, graphics, ID tools, and other files to use for educational projects or for press about ALB. (05/15/2009)
• A map of outlying infestations (known infested trees outside the areas where removals are currently occurring) is available here. Note that a full survey of the regulated area is still underway, so the map is likely to change. (03/05/2009)
• Subscribe to the ALB Newsletter, a weekly update of ALB-related news and events in Massachusetts. Read back issues here. (12/30/2008)

REGULATION AND COMPLIANCE:

• The regulated area has been expanded to include all of West Boylston, for a total of 74 square miles. Download a map here, and read the 7th Amended Order here. (09/23/2009)
• Sixth Amended Order to Suppress and Control Nuisance Conditions and Regulated Articles (8/24/2009)
• Compliance training sessions for business owners are currently being held once a week at 50 Skyline Drive, Worcester. Call 508-799-8328 for exact dates and times. Contractors should bring their vehicle registrations with them so that stickers can be issued.
• List of companies and agencies who have completed compliance training and are certified to perform work that would result in the movement or transport of wood materials in the regulated area. (Up to date as of 06/01/2009)
• The operating hours at the Ararat Street wood disposal site are changing. As of May 19, 2009 the site will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 8am to 5pm. (5/12/2009)
• Federal Order: Domestic Quarantine of a Portion of Worcester County, Massachusetts, for Asian Longhorned Beetle (01/09/2009)
• ALB Regulated Area: FAQ (08/2008)
• Notice to Businesses Located in or Doing Business in the Regulated Area (08/19/2008)

LEARN TO IDENTIFY ALB:

• Fact Sheet
• How to Recognize the Asian Longhorned Beetle - a slide presentation by Robert Childs, UMass Extension
• Learn to spot ALB damage in winter [pdf print version] (updated 11/04/2009)
• Check our blog for information about insects commonly confused with ALB:
  • Whitespotted sawyer beetle, the native longhorn most commonly confused with ALB. Also see this post (6/4/2009)
  • Western conifer seed bug. (9/19/2009)
  • Broad necked root borer. (7/14/2009)
  • Eyed click beetle. (6/25/2009)
• Find the Asian Longhorned Beetle - a quiz comparing ALB to similar species. Print version is here; answers here. (1/21/09)
• Learn to spot ALB leaf damage
• ALB vs. White-spotted sawyer beetles
• Ruling out ALB
• ALB Photo Gallery

MORE INFORMATION:

• Printable Pest Alert from the USDA and US Forest Service (08/2008)
• Subscribe to the ALB Newsletter, a weekly update of ALB-related news and events in Massachusetts. Read back issues here. (12/30/2008)
• Suggested Replanting List for ALB Quarantine Zones and Surrounding Areas (08/20/2009)
• List of ALB Host Species (Updated 11/2009)
• The Don't Move Firewood Campaign

RELATED LINKS:

• City of Worcester ALB Page
• Town of Holden Asian Longhorned Beetle Information
• Town of Shrewsbury ALB FAQs and Information
• Town of West Boylston ALB Page
• Town of Boylston Asian Longhorned Beetle Information

ARCHIVE:

• Archived map of the regulated area from 8/3/2009 (74 square miles)
• Archived map of the regulated area from 12/23/2008 (63.5 square miles)
• Dodge Park tree removals began week of 4/30/2009 - walkthrough was 4/27/09. Read more here. (04/27/2009)
• The tree removal process in Worcester has now entered Phase 3. Download an updated map here. (02/11/2009)
• A summary of Phase 1 of the tree removal process in the Worcester regulated area, along with a map of affected locations, can be downloaded here. (01/02/2009)
• Amended Order to Suppress and Control Nuisance Conditions and Regulated Articles (12/23/2008)
• Storm Emergency Update: Disposal of ALB host material in the regulated area has been made easier for tree companies dealing with the recent ice storm. For details, click here. (12/12/2008)
• Archived map of Regulated Area from 11/24/2008 (includes a small increase in the southern part of Holden)
• All companies working within the regulated area on any of the 11 ALB host species are required to sign a compliance agreement. Section 5 of the state order will now be strictly enforced. (11/7/2008)
• A Massachusetts Environmental Assessment has been released for the preferred Asian longhorned beetle eradication plan. (10/14/2008)
• Archived map of Regulated Area from 09/28/2008 (includes the city of Worcester, and parts of the towns of Boylston, Holden, Shrewsbury, and West Boylston - 62 square miles)
• Notice to residents in the regulated zone regarding the ALB Survey Teams (08/22/2008)
• Archived map of Regulated Area from 08/19/2008 (33 square miles)
• Original Order to Suppress and Control Nuisance Conditions and Regulated Articles (08/18/2008)
• Pest Alert August 2008: Asian Longhorned Beetle found in Worcester, MA (08/07/2008)