Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Ohio Department of Agriculture discovers Hemlock pest

Will begin to quarantine hemlock materials

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

What do you think of when you hear the word pest?

For hockey fans, pest can be used to describe a player on the opposing team who stops at nothing to get under the skin of his opponents whether it be through words, scoring an important goal or throwing a cheap punch after the referee blows their whistle.

People who have siblings may even refer to them as pests. The bravest of them all might even call their significant other that name (but probably not aloud).

In Jackson County, Ohio, a different kind of pest has been discovered – the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). The confirmation of the insect in Jackson County makes it the seventh in the state, joining Washington and Meigs counties in 2012, Hocking County in 2013, and Lawrence, Monroe, and Vinton counties last year.

The tiny insect which is native to Asia feeds on the sap from hemlock and spruce (Christmas) trees. As a result, the Ohio Department of Agriculture is quarantining any hemlock materials.

The most common uses for hemlock trees are boxes and pallets, crates, framing, plywood and for other construction reasons.

The easiest way to identify if a tree is infected with the HWA is the emergence of small wax excretions that look like tiny snow or cotton balls. If there is an infestation, the tree could see twig and limb dieback damage within two years and be completely dead in about five years.

To treat individual trees, non-toxic horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps are used. As they dry, they smother the insect and trees should be sprayed annually.


Trending Video

Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

Video: Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. David Rosero from Iowa State University explores the critical aspects of fat quality and oxidation in swine diets. He discusses how different types of lipids affect pig performance and provides actionable insights on managing lipid oxidation in feed mills. Don’t miss this episode—available on all major platforms.

Highlight quote: "Increasing levels of oxidized fats in swine diets reduced the efficiency of feed utilization, increased mortality, and led to more pigs being classified as culls, reducing the number of full-value pigs entering the finishing barns."

Meet the guest: Dr. David Rosero / davidrosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.