At some point in the past fifteen years the wooly adelgid was unintentionally introduced to the East Coast, and, ever since, the invasive insects have been sucking the life out of the native hemlock species.
The insects leave dry, skeleton-like silhouettes poking out over an otherwise lush landscape. These old growth trees could face extinction in as little as twenty years if the adelgid population isn’t drastically reduced. Chemical defense is a stop gap measure but according to local biologists won’t stop the mass-eradication of hemlocks across the region and that’s where the Lari beetles come in.
Laricobius nigrinus beetles, “Lari” for short, are the natural predators of the wooly adelgid, These beetles are found naturally in the American Pacific Northwest — along with masses of thriving hemlock groves, the two insects coexist while creating a balanced ecosystem. Believing that such beetles may be “the future” of our local hemlock preservation, the Commissioners have approved the purchase of some 5,000 beetles. Check out the video for an update on the work of local volunteers who have been working to get these beetles in place.
They agree that while chemical treatment is still an effective method of preserving a single tree, the only way to loosen the adelgid’s grip on the entire forest is with its natural predator.