A Forest Health Specialist in New Hampshire found more than she expected when investigating some sick hemlock trees reported by a resident. The evergreen hemlocks around Milford, N.H. host two devastating insect pests - hemlock woolly adelgid and elongated hemlock scale. While woolly adelgid has been feeding on the Granite State's hemlocks for years, the elongated hemlock scale came as a surprise.
Elongated hemlock scale, an invasive pest from Asia, took up residence in conifers throughout much of the northeast decades ago. Until now, however, its northernmost range was Massachusetts. Scientists believed the long, cold winters of New Hampshire would keep the invader from spreading north so soon. Hemlocks with one of the two insect pests have a fair chance of survival, those infested with both woolly adelgid and elongated hemlock scale usually die.
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