Officials Confirm Invasive Redbay Ambrosia Beetle on Long Island

The invasive redbay ambrosia beetle has been confirmed for the first time in New York, along with the detection of laurel wilt disease in Suffolk County — a discovery that began with a Northport homeowner’s report of a dying sassafras tree.

Nick Bates, an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist and manager of Davey Tree Long Island, said the beetle primarily targets members of the laurel family, including sassafras and spicebush, which are both present on Long Island. Although commonly planted shrubs such as skip laurels and mountain laurels carry “laurel” in their names, Bates noted that they are not true laurels and are not susceptible to the pest. “Almost every property has skip laurels and mountain laurels… they will not be affected, at least as of yet,” he said.

Unlike native species, the redbay ambrosia beetle carries a fungal pathogen (the cause of laurel wilt) which it introduces into the host tree, rapidly disrupting the tree’s vascular system. “The insect actually brings the fungus with it to inoculate the tree … they don’t eat the wood itself — they eat the fungus that grows inside,” Bates said. Once infected, he noted, trees often die within weeks to months.

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