Town of Boone issued the following announcement on Sep 3.
Similar to the Weevils the Town of Boone released to help stop the spread of Mile-A-Minute weed, the Watauga Extension has released something very similar, but with a very different purpose. If you have seen the hemlocks here in Boone, you know that they have been declining rapidly for quite some time. The main reason for this is the infestations of the Hemlock Wooly Adlegid, a type of bug which harms hemlock trees However, over the last 15+ years, Dr McDonald (aka Dr. McBug) and other arborists have released an insect, known as a Laricobius, which feeds on the Hemlock Wooly Aldegrid! Isn't that cool?!
If you're a Watauga County resident with hemlocks in your landscape or forest and wouldn't mind the Watauga Extension's intern from ASU coming to visit your property to collect specimens on your hemlock trees or hedges, please complete the brief survey found in the post below. Let's help restore our hemlocks again with the help of a little bug
Original source can be found here.
Source: Town of Boone
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