Sirex woodwasp found in western New York state

Sirex woodwasp found in western New York state Yet another invasive insect that is believed to have entered the country through wood packaging material is in the news.
   New York State scientists say they have discovered additional specimens of Sirex woodwasps in traps in upstate New York from western New York to the Adirondacks, and that the wasp is believed to have infested 21 counties in the state. It has also been found in parts of Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada.
   A native of Europe, the wasp was first detected three years ago, and foresters are concerned that it could be a threat to softwood stands throughout the United States — but particularly in the Southeast if it spreads to conifer forests there.
   Last week, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer of New York, and Robert Menendez, of New Jersey — who say they have the support of Sen. Frank Lautenberg — requested $48 million in federal funds to help stop the infestation by the Asian longhorned beetle, another pest that is thought to have entered the country in untreated wood packing crates or dunnage.
   Over the past several years the United States and other countries have put into force new regulations for heat treating or fumigating wood packaging materials that are designed to reduce the spread of invasive insects and other pests.