OTTAWA COUNTY, MI – Majestic hemlocks towering on dunes and along streams in Ottawa County may soon be a thing of the past if a tiny insect cannot be controlled.
The hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), a sesame seed-sized aphid-like insect from Asia, has been wreaking havoc on eastern hemlocks in Ottawa County parks for about 10 years, killing them in four to seven years if not treated.
“Last year was a particularly tough year for hemlocks,” said Nealy Molhoek, coordinator of natural resources management for Ottawa County Parks…