The man's side of it!

I saw this article about the Longhorned beetle infestation and immediately thought of the ghostbusters theme song. I'm sure Ray Parker won't mind a few changes here and there, (I hope)

If there's somethin' strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? (Bugbusters)
If it's somethin' weird an it don't look good, who ya gonna call? (Bugbusters)
I ain't afraid a no Bug. I ain't afraid a no Bug.

If you're seein' things runnin' round your knees. Who can you call? (Bugbusters)
A bunch of squigglin' things' eatin' up your trees. Oh who ya gonna call? (Bugbusters)
I ain't afraid a no Bug. I ain't afraid a no Bug. Who ya gonna call? (Bugbusters)
If you're all alone pick up the phone and call (Bugbusters)

I ain't afraid a no Bug. I hear it likes the girls.
I ain't afraid a no Bug. Who you gonna call (Bugbusters).

Mmm, if you've had a dose of a freaky Bug, baby, you better call Bugbusters
Bustin' makes me feel good: I ain't afraid a no Bug.

Don't get caught alone oh no Bugbusters
When he comes through your door, unless you've just got some more I think you better call Bugbusters.
Ooh... who you gonna call (Bugbusters)
Who you gonna call (Bugbusters)
Ah, I think you better call (Bugbusters)

I can't hear you. Who you gonna call? (Bugbusters)
Louder! Bugbusters!
Who you gonna call (Bugbusters)
Who you can call (Bugbusters)

Sorry Ray

(Original Ghostbusters song by Ray Parker, Jr.)

N.J. extends Asian Longhorn Beetle quarantine area

3.01.05
By ROBERT AMBERG

On Jan. 3 through 5, the North Jersey Ornamental Horticulture Symposium was held by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension at the Morristown Headquarters Plaza Hotel. The symposium was broken into three days: Turf Day, Tree Day and Landscape Day. The county agricultural agents who sponsor the conference gather experts from government and private industry to speak at the educational programs for professionals in the green industry. On Jan. 4 (Tree Day) an update was given by Nicholas Polanin, Somerset County ag agent, on the status of the infestation of Asian Longhorned Beetle in the Rahway/Carteret area. There were about 200 in attendance.

Things have been progressing well for the most part. The area here is mostly suburban so there are a great many trees involved. There are also a large number of property owners, which has led to some minor difficulties obtaining permission to access properties. The people in the area have cooperated quite well. There was some discouraging news in the finding of another infested tree in Rahway, which was close to the edge of the previous quarantine zone.

[composed and posted with ecto]

In the Rahway/Carteret area, the area had been placed in quarantine with the first discovery of the pest. No cut wood or plant material greater than one-half inch thick from host trees may be removed from the area. The quarantine area was quite large (10.5 square miles), encompassing parts of Rahway, Carteret, the townships of Linden and Woodbridge. All host trees in the quarantine area are now being examined to determine if they have been infested. The quarantine area has now been extended by the Acting Governor’s Executive Order to Route 27 (St. George Avenue) in Rahway, making it more than 12 square miles in size.

After each host tree is examined, it is marked with an orange paint dot to show it has been surveyed. Almost 60,000 trees have been inspected at this time. Trees that are found to be infested are marked with a red dot. By early January, more than 700 hundred trees had been removed. It was originally thought that about 3,300 trees would have to be removed but, with the new find, up to 5,000 trees may need to be taken down.

The weather so far this winter has hindered the removal to a certain extent. It has been a winter of much moisture and mild temperatures. Lawns and other areas have been very muddy and this makes access and tree removal more difficult. The ground has frozen now but there is a significant snow cover, which may also slow the process.

The trees that are taken down are being chipped to kill the larva in the trees. A large problem in the Rahway/Carteret area has been what to do with the resulting mulch. It can not be removed from the quarantined area and there really will be too much to leave on site. The permits needed to use a local incinerator to burn the infested wood chips have been approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Solid Waste Management and this will help with removal a great deal. There is a pile of mulch collected at Medwick Park on Post Boulevard in Carteret and this will be removed to the incinerator. There have been at least 38 truckloads (approximately 20 yards each) removed to the incinerator already. When that pile has been removed, any resulting chips will be taken directly from site to the incinerator.

Other ways to fight the beetles are still being examined. A variety of parasitic wasp may show some promise but is still a few years away from any benefit. Also, there may be some nematodes or roundworms that may attack the Asian Longhorned Beetles but use of these as a control is many years in the future.

The Asian Longhorned Beetle Team has responded to a number of reports of other possible occurrences of the beetle but few have proved to be the Asian Longhorned Beetle. This reporting is an important tool in this fight. It is not uncommon for infestations to be discovered by homeowners and non-professionals. People need to be kept aware of the pest and the signs of its damage. There is an ad campaign, “Don’t Move Firewood” which has been running in a number of papers throughout New York and New Jersey. There has also been coverage in newspapers and television.

The area will continue to be watched for at least five years to spot any recurrence. The Department Agriculture is committed to halt the spread of the Asian Longhorned Beetle and protect any community’s shade trees from further attack by the beetle. There has been good success in other areas that were infested with Asian Longhorned Beetle. The agencies which have come together to form the team fighting the pest work together well and are a extremely effective weapon against this pest.