The DEC is asking pool owners to check their pools for an invasive species.
The Asian Longhorned Beetle is active now through Labor Day and kills maples, birches, willows, and other hardwoods. The beetles are roughly 1 1/2″ long with long black and white antennae and spots on their body.
Sawdust accumulating at the base of trees, oozing sap, or pits in bark are signs of the insect’s presence.
The beetle should not be confused with the native white-spotted pine sawyer, which the DEC says has a distinctive white spot on their back, below their head.
The DEC says that if you find one in your pool or filter, email a photo of the bug or mail the insect itself to the them at:
NYSDEC Forest Health Diagnostic Laboratory
Attn: Jessica Cancelliere
108 Game Farm Road
Delmar, NY 12054.
