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QCC’s Environmental Science Department hosts educational talk on the Asian Longhorned Beetle

March 2018
  • QCC Professor of Environmental & Physical Science, Anita Soracco and ALB Outreach Coordinator Joshua Brucker.
    QCC Professor of Environmental & Physical Science, Anita Soracco and ALB Outreach Coordinator Joshua Brucker
  • Students, faculty and staff learned valuable information about the Asian Longhorned Beetle from ALB Outreach Coordinator Joshua Brucker (center).
    Students, faculty and staff learned valuable information about the Asian Longhorned Beetle from ALB Outreach Coordinator Joshua Brucker (center).
  • It was a full-house at the Environmental Sciences Department's informational session.
    It was a full-house at the Environmental Sciences Department's informational session.

You’ve probably heard about them and maybe your trees have even fallen victim to their destructive ways, but can you recognize an Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), the invasive wood-boring insect? Do you know the best way to combat this non-native pest?

On March 1, Quinsigamond Community College’s Environmental Sciences Department brought in ALB Outreach Coordinator Joshua Brucker, from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, to bring awareness on how to prevent the spread of this invasive insect that bores through hardwood trees.

A packed audience of the QCC grounds crew, students, faculty and staff learned that in Massachusetts alone, over 36,000 trees have been destroyed by this beetle. Native to Asia, these beetles were thought to have been brought to the United States in the larva stage through wood packing material such as crates, pallets and spools. In 1998, the U.S. required fumigation treatment of all solid wood packing material from China in an attempt to stop any further infestation.

In Central Massachusetts the first infestation of the ALB was in 2008 and the City became locked in a ballet to save as many trees as possible. This touched close to home, as QCC also had to have infested trees removed. Public awareness is the most effective way to combat the problem and help prevent the insects from spreading.

“Having Josh give this talk was especially beneficial because the ALB is specific to our City and our campus. People get more interested in topics when they can see how these scientific phenomena relate to their specific environment and everyday life,” said QCC Professor of Environmental & Physical Science, Anita Soracco. “As Josh discussed, the ALB changed the landscape of Worcester and of our own campus. It was a very teachable moment when I told my students to note the age of many of the trees on campus, and they realized they were young trees.  About 10 years ago, there were much older ones that had to be removed from our campus because of ALB devastation.”

Mr. Buckner noted these beetles can fly as far as one mile, however, the real risk of increased infestation is through the movement of wood such as storm debris, removal of wood after maintenance or firewood. He also noted that trees removed due to infestation can still be turned into mulch, since the larval stage of the ALB does not survive the chipping process.

Other important things to know about the ALB:

  • Become familiar with what the ALB looks like(shiny black body, white banded anteanna, blueish-tinged feet, bright white splotches and between .75 and 1.5” in length)
  • ALB is not the only thing that makes holes in trees; holes do NOT follow any pattern
  • ALB only feeds on live trees, not dead wood
  • Matchstick-like “FRASS” is characteristic of this woodboring insect
  • Poor tree health alone is not a good indicator of ALB
  • Larvae of ALB are very similar looking to the larvae of many of the over 200 native longhorned beetle species in Massachusetts
  • Larva of the ALB can survive the hardships harsh New England winters.

Eradication process:

  • Removal and stump grinding of infested trees
  • Disposal within the regulated area
  • Annual compliance training for industry
  • Further survey required after removal before eradication can be declared

It takes between 8-10 years for ALB infestation to kill a tree. Trees that are impacted are considered hardwood trees such as maple, elm and birch.

“It is always a great thing to bring awareness about environmental issues. I was thrilled that not only did this information reach my students, but also so many other QCC students, faculty and staff on our campus.  Getting educated is always the best step to fixing a problem as a community,” Professor Soracco said, noting QCC now offers a 2-year transfer degree in Environmental Science.  

For more information or to report ALB or ALB damage visit or any other suspicious pests at the Introduced Pests Outreach Project or call 1.866.702.9938.

For more information or questions email Joshua Bruckner at Joshua.bruckner [at] state.ma.us or call 617.626.1764.

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