Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Forestry Commission, and Animal and Plant Health Agency in the UK announced in May that the Asian long-horned beetle has been eradicated from the UK after six years of trapping and surveillance.
The pest was first discovered in Kent in 2012 and expected to have arrived on packing materials.
The public announcement said, “Our strong response includes investing more than £4.5m to strengthen our border security, recruiting and enhancing training for new plant inspectors. Furthermore, we identify and assess new threats to our trees by using the UK Plant Health Risk Register, the most comprehensive in the world, containing over 1000 pests and diseases which are regularly reviewed and prioritised for action.”
Horticulture Week reported Switzerland has organized plans for eradication of the ALB in four years. Their system is expected to only work if the find is early, the boundaries are accurately established in one year and both sniffer dogs and experienced workers are used. Inexperienced workers were found to be ineffective in ALB eradication.