Quarantined beetle found in packaging from Asia; capable of killing forests in short order
BASEL, SWITZERLAND – The Asian capricorn beetle, which is capable of destroying whole forests in just a few years, has been discovered in the Basel area by specially-trained sniffer dogs from Austria, where the beetle made its first European appearance in 2001. The beetles were found in Fribourg and Thurgau in 2011 and trees in the areas where they were found have been quarantined following European norms, with regular checks to ensure the deadly beetles are not spreading.
Larvae were found in wood packaging containing stone imported from Asia, stored in depots in the Basel area. The packaging material was destroyed and three trees nearby that were contaminated have been treated and quarantined. New regulations are being drawn up that will require stone importers to declare their goods for inspection.
