Michigan’s forests are under threat — and state officials are asking you to help stop a destructive insect before it takes hold.
The Asian longhorned beetle hasn’t been spotted in Michigan yet, but the state’s Department of Natural Resources is urging people to be on the lookout. The beetle targets 12 types of hardwood trees — including maples, elms, birches, willows, and horse chestnuts.
Joann Foreman with the DNR says the bug is easy to identify.
"They're about one and a half inches in length with black and white antennae and a black body with white spots."
If you think you’ve found one, Foreman says don’t just let it go.
"If you can capture it, do that. Put it in a plastic Ziploc bag and put it in your freezer and then we want you to report it. If you can't catch it, at least take as many pictures as you can of it."
Foreman says if the beetle is discovered in Michigan, infected trees would have to be destroyed to stop the spread.
To report a sighting, call 800-292-3939 or go online to http://misin.msu.edu.
