The Invasive Species Network (ISN) and Leelanau Conservation District (LCD) will host programs to instruct landowners and community members on how to survey and treat invasive hemlock woolly adelgid.
Many residents of the Lake Michigan coastline are familiar with hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) after the past six years of frequent outreach conducted by the State of Michigan and their partners.
HWA is a small, aphid-like insect that is almost invisible to the naked eye. They situate themselves at the base of hemlock needles and feed off the tree’s nutrient supply, eventually causing mortality of the tree. The effect on landscapes can be ecologically significant, as exemplified in the Appalachian forests where HWA was first detected in the United States. HWA was first detected in Benzie County in 2023 and has since spread to Manistee and Leelanau Counties.
