You have identified HWA on your property. Now what?

1. Report it to us.Our local task forces are mapping the pest throughout Michigan. Your report will help us treat surrounding areas.

2.  Join our collective to fight this pest. Local task forces are working to secure funding to help ease the burden of treatment cost on land owners. Working together, we can decrease the cost of treatment and increase the chances of success in not only saving your trees, but the trees throughout the state and Midwest. Certain HWA management areas in the state have secured grant funding to cover HWA-positive treatments for landowners- this is subject to change. We are committed to responsible treatment.

If you would like to treat this pest on your own…

3. Contact a reputable company who has experience in HWA treatment.

Here are links to help you find an arborist near you:

Mason-Lake Conservation District Treatment Service Provider List

Arboriculture Society of Michigan

Trees are Good

More information about HWA treatment and insecticides via MSU Extension – Written by: Deborah G. McCullough, Professor, Dept. of Entomology and Dept. of Forestry, Michigan State University

4. Even if you are treating on your own, please make a report to us. Your data will help us treat the pest throughout the state, so our forests are not devastated. We will not share your personal information.

See this press release from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) which has information on which chemicals to use, how to use them, and what to expect for treatment timing. If you choose to treat your hemlocks yourself, remember that the label is the law!

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ADDITIONAL ACTIONS

Prune your hemlocks above driveways and parking spaces

  • If you have hemlock branches that overhang your driveway or parking spaces, prune the branches high enough that service vehicles, cars or RV’s won’t touch or brush up against the branches.
  • If you have hemlocks in your yard, prune branches high enough that a lawn mower or other lawn equipment cannot touch or brush up against the branches.
  • Familiarize yourself with the State’s Interior Quarantine on the movement of hemlock trees.
  • If possible, burn or bury branches to ensure HWA mortality.
  • If burning not possible, drench branches with soapy water (1/4 cup per gallon) or cover the branches with a clear plastic tarp for 3 weeks (if temperature is above 50°F).
  • The best way to prevent invasion of invasive species is to not allow them to become established in the first place. Use designated boot brush stations at trailheads, clean off equipment, and wash your vehicle regularly to prevent the spread of harmful species.
  • If you are in an HWA infested area, or are traveling to and from an area with HWA, make sure to clean your mode(s) of transportation regularly.
  • BIOCONTROL – Options for biological control agents to limit the spread of HWA in Michigan have been studied for many years, and ongoing research aims to identify a predatorial biocontrol species that itself doesn’t also become a problem pest. So far there has been unpromising evidence to support the time & money needed to introduce biocontrols into our public forests, mostly due to the climate of western/northwestern Michigan not being able to sustain an established population of such biocontrol species, among other factors. For more information on HWA biocontrols, see this link. 
    • Laricobius beetles (Laricobius nigrinus) are being tested in controlled releases within the State of Michigan. These alone will not be enough to manage HWA entirely. Silver flies (Leucotaraxis spp.) are still being assessed for their feasibility, and could one day be paired with Laricobius releases for a more comprehensive biocontrol program. 
    • A moderately-to-large sized population of HWA is needed to sustain Laricobius beetle populations. Once established, the beetles can migrate to other infested areas, but will do so slowly. Doing one release will not save Michigan’s hemlock resources from the fast spreading threat of HWA, and therefore an integrated pest management approach (including the use of chemical application, as well as other silviculture techniques) is still needed.
    • See more information here on biocontrol options being researched down in North Carolina through the Hemlock Restoration Initiative.

Consider joining the Eyes on the Forest – Michigan’s Sentinel Tree Network campaign. This program empowers volunteers to monitor sentinel trees within Michigan for signs of invasive forest pests, including HWA. Video on the Eyes on the Forest program

Attend an HWA Public Information Session

Public Information meetings are meant to introduce communities to the invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid while offering the most recent updates to the efforts being taken to report, survey and control infestations. Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on locations of hemlock stands. Please see this video from the NW MI Invasive Species Network for landowner HWA info.

If you’d like to become involved in the work that the HWA Task Forces/CISMAs/Conservation Districts are doing to protect our environment, please check the respective job openings/employment section for each organization’s website listed under Find a Local Professional. The Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network also posts partnering organization positions on their employment page.