08/28/07 Beetle Invasion

Beetle Invasion. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. In 1964 any headline with the name Beatle would have garnered a lot of attention. But Oregon officials are not talking about John, Paul, George or Ringo but two potentially-devastating species of beetle are catching the attention of Oregon officials this summer. One of them has not been detected in the state yet, the other is already here. The Asian longhorned beetle has killed trees in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Ontario, Canada. It bores into trees, especially maples, and is considered a very serious pest risk, according to Kathleen Johnson of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. JOHNSON: To date, we've found no Asian longhorned beetle in Oregon. But we are very concerned about the potential for it to come here. For the third year in a row, ODA has issued a public alert for the Asian longhorned beetle. Meanwhile, insect trappers are looking for signs of the large black beetles with white spots, hoping they have not yet come west. Another invasive insect, the Japanese beetle, has been introduced to Oregon many times the past few decades, each time being detected early and subjected to an eradication program. ODA is just finishing up spraying near the Portland International Airport and Swan Island after detecting Japanese beetles the past couple of years in both locations. The pest has apparently hitched a ride on cargo planes and ground cargo trucks originating from infested areas of the Midwest. JOHNSON: We want the planes, we want the trucks and what they carry to come to Oregon. But we're trying to not allow the beetles to come here. For both the Asian longhorned beetle and the Japanese beetle, Oregon continues to have a zero tolerance policy. The state offers a full menu of good eating for both insects and can't afford to have the beetles take up permanent residency in the future. Johnson says recent introduction of Japanese beetle to the Portland International Airport and Swan Island is apparently connected to both air and ground cargo transportation. For Swan Island, trucks are probably responsible. JOHNSON: The Japanese beetles are hitching a ride from the infested areas in the Midwest. They hitch a ride on air cargo planes at airports that have very high numbers in the vicinity. And apparently, they are coming to us on ground cargo trucks as well. This is a new pathway for us. Johnson says the Asian longhorned beetle has not been found in Oregon yet, but officials want to keep looking for it. JOHNSON: The species is found in China and Korea. But unfortunately, it's also found in North America in Eastern North America. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.