May 15, 2013
Asian long-horned beetle eradicated
In early April, Pierre Lemieux, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, announced that the Asian long-horned beetle (ALHB) has been successfully eradicated in Canada.
As a result, the Ministries of Agriculture and Natural Resources announce that tree materials, including nursery stock, trees, logs, lumber, wood, and wood and bark chips from tree species that are susceptible to the Asian long-horned beetle, may once again be freely moved out of, or through, the areas formerly regulated for ALHB.
The Asian long-horned beetle is not native to Canada and was first detected in the cities of Vaughan and Toronto in 2003. Following the detection, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducted visual surveys to determine how widely the pest had spread, and the extent of the damage it had caused to many broadleaf trees, such as maple, birch, elm, poplar and willow.
A Ministerial Order — the Asian Long-Horned Beetle Infested Place Order was established by the CFIA around the southern part of the City of Vaughan and the north east part of the City of Toronto to prevent further spread. As part of the eradication effort, nearly 30,000 trees were also removed from the area. The Ministerial Order has now been repealed.
ALHB was last detected inside the regulated area in December 2007.
It has never been detected elsewhere in Canada.
The ALHB has no natural controls, and the only way to eradicate the insect was to remove all susceptible trees within a defined area. In September 2003, when CFIA confirmed the detection of ALHB, all infested and susceptible trees were removed within a 200 or 400 metre radius to eliminate the spread of the beetle to uninfected trees.
As a result, the Ministries of Agriculture and Natural Resources announce that tree materials, including nursery stock, trees, logs, lumber, wood, and wood and bark chips from tree species that are susceptible to the Asian long-horned beetle, may once again be freely moved out of, or through, the areas formerly regulated for ALHB.
The Asian long-horned beetle is not native to Canada and was first detected in the cities of Vaughan and Toronto in 2003. Following the detection, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducted visual surveys to determine how widely the pest had spread, and the extent of the damage it had caused to many broadleaf trees, such as maple, birch, elm, poplar and willow.
A Ministerial Order — the Asian Long-Horned Beetle Infested Place Order was established by the CFIA around the southern part of the City of Vaughan and the north east part of the City of Toronto to prevent further spread. As part of the eradication effort, nearly 30,000 trees were also removed from the area. The Ministerial Order has now been repealed.
ALHB was last detected inside the regulated area in December 2007.
It has never been detected elsewhere in Canada.
The ALHB has no natural controls, and the only way to eradicate the insect was to remove all susceptible trees within a defined area. In September 2003, when CFIA confirmed the detection of ALHB, all infested and susceptible trees were removed within a 200 or 400 metre radius to eliminate the spread of the beetle to uninfected trees.