wooly adelgid

[davidlarson]

In the last few years the wooly adelgid has been severely damaging the Carolina and Canadian  hemlocks  in the western NC mountains where I live, and in other areas up and down the forests of the east coast.  This has been a major tragedy, on the scale of the chestnut blight of a century ago.  Today I was walking in my woods, and saw many hemlocks showing vigorous healthy new growth - but I could not find any of the white wooly signs of the adelgid pest.  I wondered whether the pest is receding, somehow, or did I just look at too small a sample, or is it too early in the season for the adelgid to appear?  Do any better informed foresters know current information about the wooly adelgid?
David L.

[submarinesailor]

I don't have an answer for you about the receding.  But, about 15 years ago they came in and got some, if not all, of my real nice hemlocks.  I did just recently notice that I have some that are about 12" tall.  Hope they are started to return.

Bruce

[clearcut]

Cold temperatures can set them back. Below about -4°F can kill them outright.

Looks like Feb 19-21 was cold enough.