Printer Friendly Format
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2002
PR-031-02
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND PARKS COMMISSIONER ADRIAN BENEPE DISCUSS DISCOVERY OF ASIAN LONGHORNED BEETLE IN CENTRAL PARK AND ANNOUNCE ANTI-INFESTATION MEASURES


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe today discussed the discovery of two trees infected by the Asian Longhorned beetle in Central Park and announced the measures being taken to prevent the spread of the infestation. The infected trees are a Sugar maple and a Norway maple. USDA Undersecretary of Agriculture Bill Hawks joined Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Benepe in Central Park.

"This Administration is committed to protecting our City's valuable natural resources, including New York City's many splendid trees," Mayor Bloomberg said. "With USDA and the State at our side, we will work to prevent this toxic insect from attacking and destroying the City's trees. Whether in Central Park, any of the City's 1,700 other parks, or along our sidewalks, our trees will continue to thrive and help New York City remain one of the world's greenest urban centers."

"Central Park and New York City are home to some of the nation's more magnificent trees," Commissioner Benepe said. "The appearance in the park of the Asian Longhorned beetle is a sobering reminder of the threat that faces our hardwood trees locally and across the nation. Already, 3,545 trees in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan have been killed by these voracious, wood-boring insect attacks. Parks, USDA and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets are working to protect our precious trees from further attacks."

"USDA is committed to eliminating this pest and protecting urban forests," Undersecretary Hawks said. "This situation is an agriculture emergency taken seriously by the Secretary of Agriculture. USDA will work cooperatively with the City of New York to eliminate the Asian Longhorned beetle."

The Asian Longhorned beetle is about ¾ to 1¼ inches in length, is black and shiny, and bears white spots and long antennae. The beetles attack many different hardwood trees, including maple (Norway, Sugar, Silver, and Red), birch, horsechestnut, poplar, willow, elm, and ash. The Asian Longhorned beetle was first found in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn in August 1996.

Subsequent infestations occurred in Bayside and Flushing in early 1999; on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in the summer of 1999; on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the summer of 2000; and in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Midtown Manhattan in 2001. Since 1996, the City and State have removed 3,545 infested trees on public and private property in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.

Central Park boasts 26,000 trees, nearly half of which are potential hosts to the beetle. The Parks Department, in conjunction with USDA and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, is conducting a survey of hardwood trees in Central Park to determine whether the beetle has infected other trees. The agencies will also continue surveying in areas where the infestation was found. The infected trees will be cut down, chipped, and incinerated, a standard practice for trees invaded by the beetle; chips cannot be used for horticulture purposes.

According to USDA findings, the pesticide Imidacloprid, or Imicide, increases the mortality of adult beetles, potentially saving many trees from destruction. The pesticide is injected into the tree base through small plastic canisters and is dispersed throughout the tree's circulatory system. Once absorbed by the tree, the pesticide moves into its stems, twigs, and foliage. USDA first injected Imidacloprid in New York City trees in April of 2001 and is scheduled to repeat the process again this spring, when the agency injects the pesticide in trees in Central Park.

www.nyc.gov

Contact: Edward Skyler / Jerry Russo
(212) 788-2958
Jane Rudolph (Parks)
(212) 360-1311