PORT HURON (WWJ) -- A pesky and invasive wood boring beetle hitched a ride to Michigan via a cargo shipment on a Port Huron-bound train.
Custom and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists intercepted the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) on St. Patrick's Day during an inspection of cargo at the Port Huron rail yard. It snuck across the Atlantic and into the Great Lakes state on a wood pallet from Romania.
This bad actor was a successful stowaway. However, USDA Animal and Plant Health Agriculturist Kathryn Bronsky told WWJ's Taylor Dietz that the ever-changing weather of Michigan's early spring makes it harder for these beetles to hide.
"Sometimes the leaves haven't fully formed," Bronsky said. "And the leaves haven't fully spread out on the plants. So you're able to see a little bit more of the tree, of the bark."
The ALB is deemed an invasive species known to damage maples and other hardwood trees. According to CPB, it has the potential to "disrupt forest and urban ecosystems." It also threatens the economy by killing trees that have substantial monetary value.
"Every successful interception, like this one, prevents potential devastation to our hardwood trees and reinforces our commitment to keeping invasive pests from harming our environment and economy," CBP Director of Field Operations Mary Raybon said in CBP's release.
CBP officials believe the heat treatment used to kill any invasive species or germs on the wood pallet was not properly executed.
As for the beetle, it's wishing it never made the trip.