Unlocking the secret to how experts monitor for this devastating invasive insect
The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid have made their way to Canada and are here to stay. Here's how experts in Ontario are surveying hemlock trees for these destructive pests
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is an invasive insect that sucks nutrients out of hemlock trees and, eventually, sucks the life out of them. These woolly, aphid-like insects are native to Asia, but have been found across parts of the Greater Toronto Area, the Niagara region, and Coburg in Ontario. In 2018, they were also found to have spread into Nova Scotia.
To mitigate this invasive insect, Conservation Halton surveys hemlock trees using velcro balls and a slingshot — a method that sounds much easier than it is.
RELATED: This tiny insect can cause a large amount of tree damage in Canada
The Weather Network’s Victoria Fenn Alvarado set out with Jeff Dickie, Conservation Halton’s forest field technician, to learn more about this process and try the slingshot technique herself, as well as learn about what to do if you find these destructive insects in your backyard.
