Forest Pests

UGA researchers unlock new way to clone hemlock trees able to fight off deadly pest

Athens, Ga. - For the first time, University of Georgia researchers have successfully cryogenically frozen germplasm from hemlock trees being wiped out across the eastern U.S. by an invasive insect. They've also unlocked a new way to clone the few hemlock trees apparently fighting off the hemlock woolly adelgid, which could potentially lead to a solution for the pest.

Long Island's southern pine beetle infestation now 'full-blown,' DEC says

A beetle that has killed thousands of acres of pines across the nation has infested much more of Long Island than previously thought, and state officials want to cut down trees in an effort to stop the spread of the pest before winter ends.

The southern pine beetle, first confirmed on Long Island in the fall, now has been found in an array of federal, state, county, town and...

Worcester councilors balk at large-scale tree removals for beetle control

WORCESTER — City Councilors Tuesday tried to find another way to deal with an infestation of Asian longhorned beetles in and around Green Hill Park.

The Massachusetts Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative Eradication Program, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, is removing about 200 infested trees discovered in the northern...

Where in the world is the Emerald ash borer?

The Emerald ash borer (EAB), is native to a very large geographic area of East Asia that includes northeast China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mongolia and the Russian Far East. In its home range EAB is a minor, not particularly common secondary pest that attacks stressed trees of the local species of ash, predominately Chinese and Manchurian ash. Before 2002, EAB had never been found outside of its...

Searching for Survivors; Researchers in the Midwest are studying ash trees that appear to have survived EAB infestations

Since the discovery of emerald ash borer (EAB) in 2002, the news of the infestation has been bleak.  Containment efforts have failed to stop the relentless spread of this ash-killing pest and billions of trees are at risk. 

Now that the dust is settling after the initial infestation in the Midwest, scientists are able to research whether any ash trees were able to survive....