Your Checklist for Preventing an Adelgid Outbreak
You can take steps to try to keep hemlock woolly adelgid away from your trees, or at least catch an infestation early.
Keep watch. Monitor your woods for the hemlock woolly adelgid. Determine which areas are at most risk. Vigorous hemlocks in good sites will live the longest, while stressed trees will succumb more quickly.
Keep birds away. Do not put birdhouses and bird feeders near hemlock. Birds help these insects disperse.
Inspect nursery plants. Hemlock woolly adelgid is spread by infected nursery plants. If you buy any hemlock, be sure to carefully inspect them before planting. If the hemlock woolly adelgid hasn't gotten to your area yet, don't buy hemlock from infected areas. Check the most recent map to see how far the insect has spread.
Wash equipment. Before bringing any equipment onto your property, always be sure it has been power-washed to stop the spread of invasive species.
Whether you’re implementing your prevention checklist or dealing with an existing infestation, you don’t have to go it alone. State, county or consulting foresters, the Forest Service or your local cooperative extension service can all help you protect your hemlocks and preserve your forest legacy.
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