The United States Department of Agriculture announced the expansion of the Asian longhorned beetle quarantine zone in Clermont County Aug. 23.

An additional 268 contiguous parcels of land have been added this month to the quarantine after an infestation was found near Possum Hollow Road in Stonelick Township in July.

The 268 parcels represent all land located within one mile of the ALB infestation in Stonelick Township. The additional quarantine area increased the total square miles of quarantine from 56 square mile to 61 square miles in Clermont County.

According to a press release from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, officials have linked the infestation to the movement of firewood from Tate Township in 2010, which was prior to the current ALB quarantine zone being established.

Rhonda Santos, public relations officer for the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said after the infestation was found that it is likely that more infested material could have been moved before the quarantine was in place.

Santos said the infestation in Stonelick Township was reported by the property owner in July and APHIS officials proceeded to determine the extent of the infestation.

“What I can tell you, is at this point, there are only two infested trees on the property,” Santos said after the infestation was announced July 20.

Now that officials have surveyed the area, the new quarantine zone has been established to prevent the further spread of the beetle.

The quarantine restricts the movement of hardwood logs, firewood, stumps, roots and branches out of the quarantine area and also restricts the sale of nursery stock, green lumber and logs of maples, horse, chestnut, buckeye, mimosa, birch, hackberry, ash, golden raintree, katsura, sycamore, poplar, willow, mountain ash and elms.

“What’s happening in Ohio is similar to what has happened in other states with what we call satellite infestations,” Santos said after the infestation was discovered. “It’s not a continuous line, just an isolated population due to the movement of infested material.”

A map of the new quarantine area is available at www.agri.ohio.gov. For more information about the Asian longhorned beetle visit www.beetlebusters.info.