Technical Abstract: The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff, is the only confirmed vector of laurel wilt, a newly-described lethal disease of trees in the family Lauraceae, including avocado. First detected in the U.S. near Savannah, Georgia, X. glabratus has since spread to the Carolinas, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi, and currently threatens commercial avocado groves in Miami-Dade County, FL. Curtailing further spread of laurel wilt is dependent on development of improved lures for early detection of the vector. This could be greatly expedited through controlled experimental research conducted with newly-emerged, host-seeking females. As an alternative to costly, labor-intensive rearing of X. glabratus, we developed a method for field collection of dispersing females using freshly-cut host wood as bait. Female X. glabratus collected with this method are behaviorally and physiologically in host-seeking mode, ideally suited for evaluation of host-based attractants in controlled laboratory tests.