FAQ's
Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is an aphid-like insect that attacks and kills hemlock trees by feeding on nutrient and water storage cells at the base of needles. HWA can be spread by wind, animals, and human movement of nursery stock, logs, and other wood products.
Hemlock woolly adelgid was first reported in Canada in British Columbia in the 1920s, and it was detected in Southwestern Nova Scotia in 2017. The first Eastern North American detection was in Richmond Virginia USA in 1951, on an ornamental hemlock from Asia.
It is not known at this time how the hemlock woolly adelgid came into Canada, and the exact source will be difficult to determine. Dispersal of HWA occurs by wind, storms, hurricanes, birds, animals, and human movement of nursery stock, logs, and other wood products, including firewood.
The HWA is different than most of the insects found in the Northeast in that it is dormant through much of the growing season and active throughout much of the winter. HWA immatures (crawlers) settle onto twigs by mid-August and dormant. They neither feed nor develop during this period, until mid-October, when they come out of dormancy and resume feeding until approximately early March. As adults, they will now begin to produce eggs surrounded by ribbons of a white, waxy material that appears as small cotton balls lined up at the base of the needles. This is when most people become aware of their presence. These eggs will hatch, and a new generation will begin feeding. These crawlers will mature in late-May to early-June, another batch of eggs is produced, and the cycle begins again. All HWA are females and the vast majority of these are wingless. Head to the Phenology page to learn more.
Once established, HWA will spread naturally via wind, birds, animals, and human movement of nursery stock, logs, and other wood products, including firewood. To help prevent the spread of this pest, the public is encouraged not to move potentially infested firewood and other hemlock forest products.
Yes — import and domestic movement requirements are in place to prevent the introduction and minimize the spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid. To see the complete program, please refer to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Directive D-07-05. This directive is being revised to reflect the recent Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infested Place Order (issued on May 28, 2020) and therefore, there are parts of this version of the directive that are not yet consistent with that order. For cases in which requirements for regulated commodities have been established by the Order, the Plant Protection Act or the Plant Protection Regulations, those requirements take precedence over the requirements outlined in section 1.4 in this directive. This directive will be updated in the upcoming months.
The economic value of hemlock to the forest industry is not as high as other trees species, however, eastern hemlock can be processed for use in general construction or as pulp. Hemlock woolly adelgid, and the resulting loss of hemlock trees, has the potential to cause major ecological impacts in Canada. In many forests, hemlock serves as a foundation tree in the environment. Loss of eastern hemlock could negatively affect the health of vegetation, birds, aquatic organisms and mammals, as hemlock trees serve a vital role in protecting watersheds and streams in natural forest ecosystems.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates all movement of hemlock in the infected counties of Nova Scotia. Please refer to the Amended Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infested Place Order for up-to-date movement regulations.
You have several options to proactively manage HWA on your property. Before you consider harvesting your timber, please review these options and contact us to talk it through. Your forest is an important part of the broader landscape and together we can safeguard biodiversity and forestry for future generations.
To find out more about current treatment and management of HWA and options available to landowners such as chemical controls, silviculture intervention, bio- control and the Canadian and Nova Scotian Management Plans, please go to our Management page.
Keep in mind that HWA spreads very easily to establish in new areas! If you know or suspect that HWA is present in a given stand, please follow the checklist below to help prevent further spread:
- If possible, avoid visiting hemlock stands in other, uninfested areas for several days
- Do not collect and move hemlock foliage – ten adults can produce up to 30 million new adelgid in two years; take photos instead
- Use a lint roller to remove potential crawlers from clothing
- Do not bring your pet into infested stands
- Do not park your vehicle near or under hemlock trees
- Launder all clothing prior to re-entering the field
- Avoid placing bird feeders near hemlock trees – birds can accidentally transport HWA to new locations
- Source firewood locally; don’t bring it from home if you’re going camping
- Buy certified heat-treated (kiln-dried) firewood where available
- Check with parks or campgrounds before you go for their rules about firewood
Doing the above will help to reduce the risks of spreading HWA. Please help by doing your part in keeping this invasive species in check.
If you think you have found HWA, please take a picture and report it to our team. You can either submit the observation to iNaturalist or send an email directly to us at HWA@nshemlock.ca.
If you would like to talk more about what your options are, or get involved in HWA surveys on your land as a volunteer, please contact:
Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute (MTRI)
9 Mt Merritt Rd, Kempt, NS
B0T 1B0
(902) 682-2371