The hemlock woolly adelgid has been detected in several coastal towns in the past month, notably in South Bristol and Bristol in Lincoln County, according to Maine Forest Service spokesperson Allison Kanoti.
This destructive pest of hemlocks has also been found Eliot, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Ogunquit, Saco, South Berwick, Wells and York in York County; Harpswell, Brunswick, South Portland in Cumberland County, and in Phippsburg, Georgetown in Sagadahoc County.
The Maine Forest Service asks residents to please look for hemlock woolly adelgid on planted and forest hemlocks, especially residents living within 20 miles of the coast.
Tell your neighbors and friends, especially those who are seasonal residents, about the spread of this insect, which has received news coverage over the last month.
If the small, white hemlock woolly adelgid, is discovered, please call or email Kanoti in Augusta at 287-3147, or allison.m.kanoti@maine.gov.
Please be patient, Kanoti will respond, but it may take some time.
The website http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/HWAOverview.htm has tips for recognizing the insect.
The Maine Forest Service will be closed for the July 4 holiday from Fri., July 2 through Mon., July 5.
The hemlock woolly adelgid feeds on the sap at the base of hemlock needles, disrupting nutrient flow and causing the needles to change from deep green to a grayish green, then fall off. Without needles the tree starves to death, usually within three to five years of the initial attack. Infestations often start in large, mature hemlocks, but the insect also attacks and kills younger trees as well.
