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Asian Beetle Species Continues Infestation of Ohio Woodlands
By: Associated Press
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BATAVIA, Ohio (AP) – State officials have expanded a quarantine to stop the invasive Asian longhorn beetle from spreading across Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture announced last week it was enlarging Clermont County’s quarantine area. The expanded area is 62 square miles (160 sq. kilometers) and includes 576 acres in the East Fork Wildlife Area.
Removal of firewood, branches and other wood is prohibited in quarantined areas to stop beetles and their larvae from spreading.
The beetles were first discovered in Clermont County’s Tate Township in 2011 and can infest a variety of trees.
Infestations are addressed primarily through the removal of host trees, which can result in the stripping of large woodland areas.
A Clermont County man lost 700 trees on his 85-acre property in 2012.