A Double-Whammy Of Invasive Insects Invade Maine

CAPE PORPOISE (NEWS CENTER) -- Mainers are urged to be on the lookout for two tiny, but destructive invasive insects that have made their way into the state. The hemlock wooly adelgid has been in Maine for the past decade, having worked it's way up the coast from southern New England. Forestry officials have worked to slow its' spread and have tried to contain it in coastal York County. Now, another bug has found a foothold in that same area.

"With the discovery of elongate hemlock scale, it is sort of the last thing you want to hear, but you sort of know that it is going to happen eventually," sighed Allison Kanoti, a Maine Forest Service entomologist. "The risk is that hemlock could be, at least functionally, be removed from the landscape. Probably, not with-in my lifetime, but maybe with-in the lifetime of my daughter."

A homeowner discovered the insects and sent them away to be analyzed. When entomologists caught wind of the news in late August, they quickly descended on the area to assess the scale of the infestation. "The hemlock wooly adelgid and elongate hemlock scale both came from the same place. They were moved to the country on live trees from Japan," said Kanoti. "In the natural forest, there is really not at this point hope to push it back. Our management goal is to really target artificial spread and do everything we can to reduce artificial spread."

The combination of the two bugs spells real trouble for Maine's hemlock, spruce and fir trees. "Working in conjunction together with the adelgid, it has the capability to see trees go down hill very rapidly or much more rapidly than normal," said entomology technician Wayne Searles. He has been surveying the area around the infestation to get a handle on how far the bugs have spread.

"I've been out for the past couple of weeks, usually in a circle as I go and out a little bit further each time looking at the hemlock, and with this particular pest, I'm now looking at the spruce and the fir," explained Searles. "They say, as much as you can, to look at as much foliage as you can around the entire tree. It is very hard to detect, I'm having a hard time doing it. As of yet, I have not found any."

Forestry officials are looking for the public's help to search for both bugs. They suggest homeowners look at planted trees and in neighboring forests for hemlock, spruce or fir trees that have spotty foliage and yellowing needles. Yellow needles are not a confirmation of the bugs presence, but are a red flag to take a closer look at the tree. Officials suggest people look at the underside of suspect limbs for any white cottony masses - those are a sign of the hemlock wooly adelgid. Elongate hemlock scale infestations leave needles looking like muddy water has been splashed on the underside.

The state has created a website that features more information and pictures to help people identify the invasive insects, which you can find by clicking here. If you think your trees may be infected, forestry officials ask you to clip a small sample of the tree, place it in a plastic baggy and send it to the state's insect and disease lab or call the lab at (207) 287-2431 or 1-800-367-0223 for more information.