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Kinda Creepy! Officials Want Help Watching For Invasive Tree-Eating Beetle

LANSING, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Have trees around your house? Take a few minutes to check them for an invasive beetle.

Asian longhorned beetle (Mich dot gov)
Asian longhorned beetle (Credit/Michigan.gov)

The request comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has designated August as National Tree Check Month.

In Michigan, officials are primarily worried about the Asian longhorned beetle. The distinctively large, shiny black beetles have random white blotches or spots.

They turned up in the U.S. more than 20 years ago and likely came from Asia in wood packing materials. They haven't been spotted in Michigan but have been found in neighboring Ohio.

The beetle eats its way through the insides of trees, damaging and often killing them. It prefer maples but also will infest other hardwoods.

Anyone spotting the beetle is asked to report it.

The site on Michigan invasive species says pay attention to trees, especially maples, with dying branches. Look for the characteristic exit holes in large branches or the trunks. Many websites have good ALB photos and information. If you see a suspect tree or beetle, take photos, record the location try to collect suspect beetles in a jar and report it to:

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, MDA-Info@michigan.gov or phone the MDARD Customer Service Center, 800-292-3939.

Find more information, here.

 

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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