Asian Longhorned Beetle
March 1, 2005 update

Additional beetles found in Rahway

 Rahway, NJ -- In November, 2004, crews under the guidance of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture discovered the presence of Asian longhorn beetles in a tree near the intersection of Lawrence and Washington Streets, the second such location in Rahway (the first was on Stockton Street between E. Hazelwood and Randolph Aves.).  The tree has been removed, and approximately 1,400 trees will be removed from public and private property between March 1 and June 1 in a ¼ mile radius around the original infestation site on Washington Street. 

The New Jersey Forest Service’s Community Forestry Program has pledged to plant at least 1,400 beetle-resistant trees throughout Rahway over the next two years in an effort to minimize any concerns.  Other non-infested susceptible trees within a ½ mile radius of known infestations will be treated with the insecticide imidacloprid, which has displayed promising results in past treatments in decreasing beetle populations and future tree losses.

The Asian longhorned beetle was first reported in the United States in the mid-1990s and was believed to arrive here in wooden shipping crates from China, where it is a native insect.  The beetle is capable of causing massive damage and death to a wide variety of popular North American trees, including maples, horse chestnuts, birches and elms.  It does not pose any direct danger to humans or pets.

Updated information, which includes a revised quarantine map that prohibits the movement of firewood and scrap wood, beetle FAQ and list of beetle-resistant tree species that can be planted by Rahway property owners are available on the city’s web site: http://www.cityofrahway.com/beetle.

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