Officials: Invasive Beetle Eradicated In Hudson County, N.J.
POSTED: 5:46 pm EDT April 7,
2008
UPDATED: 5:50 pm EDT April 7,
2008
An effort to wipe out the Asian longhorned beetle in Hudson County has been a success, agriculture officials declared Monday."By working together aggressively, the Asian longhorned beetle has been eradicated in the Hudson County quarantine zone, a true success story of partnerships between governments and private citizens,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus.
Authorities have said that the invasive species could threaten the nation's lumber, maple syrup and tourism industries. The Asian longhorned beetle first appeared in New York City in 1996, after apparently hitching a ride from China in the wood of shipping crates. Subsequent infestations in New Jersey were discovered in 2002 and 2004.The beetles measure about one to one-and-a-half inches long and have a shiny black exterior with white spots. They attack hardwood trees like maple, willow, ash, poplar and elm, usually in the early summer when the female makes an indentation in the bark and plants eggs.
