An invasive insect that attacks hemlock trees has now been found in Benzie County - 50 miles north of what was previously thought to be the edge of its infestation.
If left untreated, the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid can kill a hemlock tree within 4-10 years. So far, its range has been limited along the Lake Michigan shoreline, in areas south of Mason County. But a recent survey by the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network found the insect on a country club in Frankfort.
Joanne Foreman is with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. She said officials are now surveying the area around the country club and marking trees for insecticide treatment.
“It's always a good time to find it early," Foreman said. "We hope to never find it but if you do find it, we want to find it early before it looks like it's in a widespread situation, and that allows us to better you know judge how to treat or manage an infestation.”
The insecticide treatment is done tree-by-tree, either by injection or through a bark treatment.
Foreman said winter is the best time to survey for adelgids, and residents can help in the search by looking for white, cotton-like masses on the underside of hemlock needles.
“There's so many hundreds of acres of hemlock around the state," Foreman said. "Even if you're not in the [Lake Michigan] area, it doesn't hurt to take a look at the hemlocks around you. It's just something you can do when you're out enjoying the winter walk.”
In 2021, a single tree infested with hemlock woolly adelgid was found at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This is the first time adelgids have been found in Benzie County since that tree was treated.
According to the state, adelgids don’t travel far on their own but can be spread by wind or hitchhike on animals and cars.
For more information on adelgids, how to spot and report adelgids, visit the DNR webpage here.
In the interest of transparency, we note that the DNR is a financial supporter of WCMU.
