I hate the thought of having to use that pesticide at all...but SafeLawns does have a point. Inject it in to the trees.It minimizes a small fraction of the side effect.

team member,
I agree whole heartedly. I totally respect the work and opinions of Paul Tukey and love his Safe Lawns effort. Lets be frank some one with Paul's back ground could have been earning more $$ working for Monsanto than trying to educate the average homeowner.
Then on the other hand this asian beetle can realistically change the entire vista of New England, and at the same time wipe out our regions main source of income.
Katy

I have never heard of this guy, and so I just did a Google Image search. Nasty nasty nasty nasty! Those things are big! I have not seen one up my way.

Often with invasive species there are natural predators that become the best help. Are there any natural predators here? Since it's from Asia, maybe 'natural' isn't the right word. Are there any predators here? Any other insects that bore through the larvae, or eat the adults or eggs? In the South Kudzu is a major problem, but Chattanooga, TN, is taking advantage of the fact that it's tasty and very healthy to grazers. So far goats and llamas have proven more effective than chemicals. Any other natural methods for the beetle? I'm not a complete anti-chemical person, but chemicals only work where we put them. Nature works where she goes, which is everywhere, and she's also self-replenishing.

deanna,
It has been documented that the Asian Longhorn Beetle first arrived in NJ and has since traveled rather quickly to other states. I think a major concern is its favorite host tree is the Maple which it kills the relatively quickly. I am headed to NH today for a weekend of camping at one of your state parks. On the registration form in the middle of a long list in small print they state; Firewood is a major carrier of exotic insects and tree diseases. Please do not bring firewood from out of state locations. I'll be interested to see if they ask me if I have any firewood when I check in. Katy

Last year, after losing a lovely small grove of hemlock (which shaded our deck and screened it from neighbors' view) to woolly adelgids, I wrestled with my conscience over managing the remaining hemlocks on our 1-acre property. They are tall, mature trees, and spraying dormant oil just didn't seem practical on a DIY basis. I finally decided that I would apply imidicloprid as a drench to the soil around TWO trees, the closest to our house. It seemed to me that as this would apply to a conifer which just releases its pollen (vs depending on insects), the effect on honeybees would be mitigated. There are other hemlocks a bit further away, which I opted not to treat--close to water, and had to draw the line somewhere. Not an easy decision to make either way. I am a lymphoma survivor and don't regard chemicals lightly--Monsanto studies notwithstanding, the incidence of NHL is much higher in farmers and foresters, who are exposed to herbicides and the like... Massive applications of insecticide or chemicals are not going to wipe out the Asian longhorned beetle--it didn't work with the American chestnut or the American elm--at best it would only delay the inevitable. And I'm not sure I want to be consuming maple syrup from a tree that's been treated with a systemic insecticide. But the thought of our beautiful sugar maples disappearing is almost unbearable. Do I sound conflicted enough, LOL?

Hmmm...just wondering. Are the younger among us in a position to cash in on what might be the next future collectable? Much like fine wines purchased in vintage years, could maple syrup bottled in glass and stored in the dark have considerable value 30, 40, 50 years from now? Properly sealed at the producer, maple syrup lasts for a long time. Something to think about as sugar maples appear doomed between a disease problem and the Asian Longhorn Beetle.

Nandina,
How thoughtful of you to aid in our country's economic recovery!!
sequoia,
I feel conflicted as well I suppose even horticultural issues aren't just black and white. We all seem to draw a line in the sand when it comes to insecticides at different places, for me I can live with (and complain endlessly) weeds in the garden, but I break out the Round Up for poison Ivy. Katy

I remember reading an article that the beetle was eradicated successfully somewhere else in the country, but I don't remember where that was. Worcester was following their strategy.

Katy, so were you asked about firewood?

Wendy,
Good news about the beetle, we were not asked if we brought in wood from outside of NH. Sadly that was the least disappointing thing we discovered about the state park system. I started writing a thread uhmmmmm...rant about the condition of state parks throughout New England but I need to calm down a bit before I finish it.