Chicago vs. The Asian Long- horned Beetle: A Portrait of Success

To eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), in 1999, USDA and USFS developed a 10-year plan in 1999 that follows five stages: phase-in, delimitation, and containment; suppression and control; deregulation; and eradication. All infested trees were either removed and replaced by non-ALB host trees on a one-to-one basis or treated with the insecticide Imidacloprid via trunk or soil injection. On private land, property owners were offered three options: tree replacement only, a combination of tree and woody landscaping, or no replacement. Community meetings are hosted on tree selection, tree planting, and tree care. By 2003, about 92,000 trees were treated. ALB was completely eliminated in Chicago by 2008.