Hemlock Woolly Adelgid - Action Taken

Action Taken

Steps that have been taken to eradicate this pest:

• A quarantine has been established in the tristate area of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Homeowners and nurseries cannot bring in hemlock seedlings or trees from adelgid-infested states into these states without an inspection permit certifying they are pest-free.
• Pathogenicity trials: isolates have been screened for pathogenicity against thrips, aphids and HWA.
• Isolation and identification: all fungi discovered were isolated, established in pure culture and identified.
• Exploration: cooperative efforts in ME, MA, CT, NJ and VA states led to the isolation of many insect-killing fungi associated with HWA populations. Exploratory activities were also conducted in China, where HWA originated.
• Characterization: isolates have been evaluated to determine their growth, sporulation and germination characteristics.
• Biological studies: hypothesizing that range expansion of HWA is limited, trials were designed to determine the low lethal temperatures of this pest. Tests are also being done to ascertain if HWA populations from different plant coldhardiness zones respond differently to low temperature exposures.
  • Sasajiscymnus tsugae(renamed in 2004 from Pseudoscymnus tsugae): Beginning in 1995, more than 100,000 adult beetles have now been released in infested hemlock forests in Connecticut, New Jersey and Virginia to evaluate P. tsugae as a biological control agent.