Asian longhorned beetle: where it is regulated, country by country
What the agencies in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom say about Asian longhorned beetle rules, which counties are listed, what wood is covered, and the date on each page.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. Asian longhorned beetle is a wood-boring insect that attacks maples and other hardwoods. The table sets out each agency's status for it and the date its page gives. The guide to moving wood and firewood covers the wider picture of wood movement rules.
Status by country
| Country | Status and what is covered | Agency and date on its page |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Federal regulated areas in four states. Covers the beetle in any stage, firewood from all hardwood species, and host material such as nursery stock, logs, green lumber and stumps. | USDA APHIS. Page modified October 5, 2026. |
| Canada | Declared eradicated in Mississauga and Toronto. The page says movement of firewood and host tree materials is no longer restricted. | Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Page modified September 4, 2025. |
| United Kingdom | Not present, and notifiable. Sightings must be reported. | Forest Research. Page data shows modified September 23, 2026. |
| Ireland | No official status page found on October 8, 2026. | Not stated. |
| Australia | No official status page found on October 8, 2026. | Not stated. |
| New Zealand | No official status page found on October 8, 2026. | Not stated. |
United States
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says on its Asian longhorned beetle page that it acts under the Plant Protection Act of 2000, with the federal rules at 7 CFR 301.51. The page names surveys and eradication work in four states. The regulated areas it lists are:
- Massachusetts. Worcester County.
- New York. Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island.
- Ohio. Clermont County.
- South Carolina. Charleston and Dorchester counties.
The page also says federal orders changed some of these boundaries: Shrewsbury in Massachusetts and part of Tate Township in Ohio were removed, and the South Carolina quarantine area was expanded. Road-level boundaries sit in a separate document that the page links.
The regulated articles on the page are the beetle in any living stage, firewood from all hardwood species, and all host material, living, dead, cut or fallen, including nursery stock, logs, green lumber and stumps. The page says nursery stock in a regulated area is subject to inspection, and that uninfested host material in the nursery trade is allowed to leave the area with inspection paperwork and approved permits.
Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says on its Asian longhorned beetle page that the beetle was discovered in the cities of Mississauga and Toronto in August 2013. After five years of surveys with no detection it was considered eradicated, and the Infested Place Order was repealed effective June 9, 2020. The page states that the movement of firewood and host tree materials is no longer restricted. It still lists policy directives on firewood, wood products and plants for planting, and it asks anyone who sees the beetle or signs of infestation to report it to the agency.
United Kingdom
Forest Research says on its Asian longhorn beetle page that the beetle is not known to be present in the United Kingdom, apart from one outbreak found at Paddock Wood in Kent, England, in 2012. Rapid eradication followed, and annual surveys since then have found no sign of it. The Defra Plant Health Portal says on its Asian longhorn beetle page that this remains the only known established outbreak in the country.
The Forest Research page lists the steps that would follow a new outbreak, as taken in 2012: a buffer zone, which had a 2 km radius at Paddock Wood; a temporary ban on felling, tree surgery or pruning in the zone while a survey runs; and a ban on moving host plants and wood out of the zone. It also says it is illegal to import wood into the UK that shows signs of the beetle, and that chipping wood to lengths of no more than 25 mm is considered effective in killing all larvae.
Where this fits
The United States is the only country in the table with live federal regulated areas for this beetle. For the sister pest on ash see emerald ash borer by country, and for a wider list of pests and who takes reports see tree pests and diseases.