On July 18, SLT released three colonies of Sasajiscymnus tsugae (St) beetles at Sewell Woods to assist the property’s hemlock trees in their battle against Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). Native to Asia, HWA is an invasive insect that attacks North American hemlock species. A natural predator of HWA, St beetles are a chemical-free means of combating the spread of the invasive pest in an effort to save our hemlocks.
In Maine, HWA has been discovered along the coast in the southern part of the state. To read more about HWA, visit the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry website.
The St colonies released at Sewell Woods were a gift from Tree Savers. Tree Savers is an organization based in Pennsylvania which rears St beetles to fight the spread of HWA across North America.