Adelgids are aphid-like insects. The hemlock woolly adelgid is an invasive species that gets its name from its woolly white appearance and because its host is the hemlock tree. It has a complex life cycle and produces two generations per year. Eggs are brownish-orange and wrapped in a white fluffy substance secreted by an adult female. Reddish-brown nymphs (or crawlers) hatch from the eggs and use their thread-like mouthpart to pierce a hemlock twig and suck sap from the branch. As they feed and grow they wrap their bodies in the fuzzy white wool they secrete. Adults are reddish-purple and some have two pairs of wings. The flying adults leave the hemlock in search of a secondary host. The wingless adults remain on the hemlock and produce 50-300 eggs. Uncontrolled feeding causes the hemlock needles to dry out and drop leading to serious dieback and/or death in 2-3 years. A variety of treatment options will protect your hemlock from this lethal pest. Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Adelgids are aphid-like insects. The hemlock woolly adelgid is an invasive species that gets its name from its woolly white appearance and because its host is the hemlock tree. It has a complex life cycle and produces two generations per year. Eggs are brownish-orange and wrapped in a white fluffy substance secreted by an adult female. Reddish-brown nymphs (or crawlers) hatch from the eggs and use their thread-like mouthpart to pierce a hemlock twig and suck sap from the branch. As they feed and grow they wrap their bodies in the fuzzy white wool they secrete. Adults are reddish-purple and some have two pairs of wings. The flying adults leave the hemlock in search of a secondary host. The wingless adults remain on the hemlock and produce 50-300 eggs. Uncontrolled feeding causes the hemlock needles to dry out and drop leading to serious dieback and/or death in 2-3 years. A variety of treatment options will protect your hemlock from this lethal pest.