The USDA Forest Service has introduced biological controls to combat the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) in Allegheny National Forest. HWA, native to Japan and the Pacific Northwest, threatens eastern and Carolina hemlock trees. Without natural predators in the east, HWA populations have grown unchecked. To address this, the Forest Service released two species of silver flies, natural predators of HWA, throughout the forest. Additionally, predatory beetles will be released in the fall. These biological controls are supplied by Cornell University and Virginia Tech.
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