Regional conservationists are seeking homeowner assistance in tracking an invasive insect that threatens eastern hemlock trees. An infographic from SW x SW Corner Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) describes the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) and measures to track and reduce its local infestation.  To participate, homeowners must sign a consent form to allow CISMA staff on the private property.  

 

CISMA Strike Team Coordinator Abbigail Bristol notes, "What's nice about the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) hemlock surveys is it's relatively painless to the landowners. A crew of two people show up, mill about the property looking at hemlock branches, and then leave. The survey always takes place in winter, and only winter as that is the time when HWA is easiest to see and least likely to be accidentally spread."

 

The pest has affected great swaths of the east coast, and has been recorded in nearby Michigan counties.  Per a map on the Michigan DNR webpage for HWA, the insect has appeared as close as Allegan County in 2020.  The site also describes how to identify hemlock trees, what to look for--such as "small, round, white, cottony masses" on the undersides of hemlock needles--and treatment options.  

 

CISMA is affiliated with the Van Buren Conservation District in partnership with others.  The VBCD website offers Watch List & Target Species and steers participants to report invasive species to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) via app or MISIN website.   

 

To participate in the tree survey and help track and lessen the spread of HWA, homeowners can contact Abigail Bristol at the Van Buren Conservation District in Paw Paw, MI, or visit the CISMA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SWXSWCornerCISMA/. The public endeavor shows how citizen participation in science can yield a better future for everyone--except, hopefully, those pesky woolly adelgids.