An invasive insect has been found in hemlock trees in west Hamilton.
The City of Hamilton announced Thursday that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) had confirmed the presence of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) on both city and Royal Botanical Gardens property, in the forested areas around Churchill Park.
With the confirmation of the invasive, aphid-like pest, the CFIA has issued a notice banning the movement of hemlock material — such as firewood, branches and mulch — in the area.
HWA can be spread by wind, animals and human movement, according to the CFIA. The insects kill hemlock trees and their presence has resulted in the loss of “whole tracts” of the trees in the United States.
“Many birds and other wildlife species rely on hemlock,” states the agency on a page dedicated to the insect on its website. “Hemlock shades forest streams from summer sun and allows cold-water fish like brook trout to survive, and it provides shelter for deer and birds in winter.”
The city said their records show that hemlocks make up a “small portion” of Hamilton’s forest inventory, with just 321 trees on streets and in parks and cemeteries, meaning the threat for those areas is considered low.
However, the city also noted the potential impact of HWA on hemlocks in both publicly and privately owned woodlots is “harder to quantify” due to a lack of data.
HWA can be identified by its egg sacs, which are typically found at the bottom of needles and look like cotton or snow clumps, according to the CFIA.
Symptoms can include early needle loss, discoloured foliage, premature bud and shoot dieback as well as dieback of twigs and branches and a thinning, greyish-green crown on the tree, according to the CFIA.
Trees that do get infested can die within four to 15 years.
The city is asking residents who have hemlock trees on their property to inspect them for the pest. Those who suspect a tree within Hamilton may be infested are asked to call their local CFIA office at 905-572-2201 to have an official identification completed.
Residents are urged not to attempt to remove the insects themselves. The pest does not pose a threat to humans, animals or other insects.
The discovery of the pest in Hamilton comes on the heels of a recently released report detailing the effects of the invasive emerald ash borer.
According to that report, more than 25,000 ash trees have been removed across Hamilton since 2011, while nearly 28,000 replacement trees have been planted.
The city has spent more than $21 million on its emerald ash borer management plan, which was approved in 2012.
For more information on HWA and how to identify them, visit hamilton.ca/invasivespecies.
Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com
An invasive insect has been found in hemlock trees in west Hamilton.
The City of Hamilton announced Thursday that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) had confirmed the presence of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) on both city and Royal Botanical Gardens property, in the forested areas around Churchill Park.
With the confirmation of the invasive, aphid-like pest, the CFIA has issued a notice banning the movement of hemlock material — such as firewood, branches and mulch — in the area.
HWA can be spread by wind, animals and human movement, according to the CFIA. The insects kill hemlock trees and their presence has resulted in the loss of “whole tracts” of the trees in the United States.
“Many birds and other wildlife species rely on hemlock,” states the agency on a page dedicated to the insect on its website. “Hemlock shades forest streams from summer sun and allows cold-water fish like brook trout to survive, and it provides shelter for deer and birds in winter.”
The city said their records show that hemlocks make up a “small portion” of Hamilton’s forest inventory, with just 321 trees on streets and in parks and cemeteries, meaning the threat for those areas is considered low.
However, the city also noted the potential impact of HWA on hemlocks in both publicly and privately owned woodlots is “harder to quantify” due to a lack of data.
HWA can be identified by its egg sacs, which are typically found at the bottom of needles and look like cotton or snow clumps, according to the CFIA.
Symptoms can include early needle loss, discoloured foliage, premature bud and shoot dieback as well as dieback of twigs and branches and a thinning, greyish-green crown on the tree, according to the CFIA.
Trees that do get infested can die within four to 15 years.
The city is asking residents who have hemlock trees on their property to inspect them for the pest. Those who suspect a tree within Hamilton may be infested are asked to call their local CFIA office at 905-572-2201 to have an official identification completed.
Residents are urged not to attempt to remove the insects themselves. The pest does not pose a threat to humans, animals or other insects.
The discovery of the pest in Hamilton comes on the heels of a recently released report detailing the effects of the invasive emerald ash borer.
According to that report, more than 25,000 ash trees have been removed across Hamilton since 2011, while nearly 28,000 replacement trees have been planted.
The city has spent more than $21 million on its emerald ash borer management plan, which was approved in 2012.
For more information on HWA and how to identify them, visit hamilton.ca/invasivespecies.
Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com
An invasive insect has been found in hemlock trees in west Hamilton.
The City of Hamilton announced Thursday that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) had confirmed the presence of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) on both city and Royal Botanical Gardens property, in the forested areas around Churchill Park.
With the confirmation of the invasive, aphid-like pest, the CFIA has issued a notice banning the movement of hemlock material — such as firewood, branches and mulch — in the area.
HWA can be spread by wind, animals and human movement, according to the CFIA. The insects kill hemlock trees and their presence has resulted in the loss of “whole tracts” of the trees in the United States.
“Many birds and other wildlife species rely on hemlock,” states the agency on a page dedicated to the insect on its website. “Hemlock shades forest streams from summer sun and allows cold-water fish like brook trout to survive, and it provides shelter for deer and birds in winter.”
The city said their records show that hemlocks make up a “small portion” of Hamilton’s forest inventory, with just 321 trees on streets and in parks and cemeteries, meaning the threat for those areas is considered low.
However, the city also noted the potential impact of HWA on hemlocks in both publicly and privately owned woodlots is “harder to quantify” due to a lack of data.
HWA can be identified by its egg sacs, which are typically found at the bottom of needles and look like cotton or snow clumps, according to the CFIA.
Symptoms can include early needle loss, discoloured foliage, premature bud and shoot dieback as well as dieback of twigs and branches and a thinning, greyish-green crown on the tree, according to the CFIA.
Trees that do get infested can die within four to 15 years.
The city is asking residents who have hemlock trees on their property to inspect them for the pest. Those who suspect a tree within Hamilton may be infested are asked to call their local CFIA office at 905-572-2201 to have an official identification completed.
Residents are urged not to attempt to remove the insects themselves. The pest does not pose a threat to humans, animals or other insects.
The discovery of the pest in Hamilton comes on the heels of a recently released report detailing the effects of the invasive emerald ash borer.
According to that report, more than 25,000 ash trees have been removed across Hamilton since 2011, while nearly 28,000 replacement trees have been planted.
The city has spent more than $21 million on its emerald ash borer management plan, which was approved in 2012.
For more information on HWA and how to identify them, visit hamilton.ca/invasivespecies.
Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com