"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:27:47 -0700 (PDT), ctlady
wrote:

I was told that the telltale sign of the wooley adelgid were masses of
a "cottony" material in the branches. I have discovered some areas of
spittle. Is the spittle from a different bug or can that be the
wooley adelgid?

CW from Harwinton, CT

Since hemlocks are notorious for wooly adelgid,

No, notorious for decline and death when area in which they live is
disturbed. E.g., The tree is shallow rooted, making it prone to injury from
drought, sudden exposure after stand opening, and windthrow (481, 713).
Exposed to salt spray in a New England hurricane, it was one of the species
most severely damaged at two localities (1005, 1632).
Hemlocks of sawlog size are notoriously subject to wind-shake (481), to
radial stress cracks, and, following sudden exposure, to sunscald of the
bark, and to death. These reactions may be the result of many adverse
effects associated with a changed regime of solar heat and soil moisture and
culminate in a decline often referred to as post-logging decadence. When
hemlocks are left as residual trees following partial cutting, and when they
are exposed, through road or other construction or clearing, they often die,
even when their root area is covered with understory brush (661). Eastern
hemlock is also considered to be one of the species most sensitive to sulfur
fumes from smelters (1933). An interesting type of hemlock ring-shake
follows sapsucker injury (1292).



Reference: Hepting, George, H. July 1971 Disease of Forest and
Shade Trees of The United States US. Dept. Agric. Forest Service Handbook
Number 386 658 pages.



So as you can see, humans can have a great negative impact on the health of
a hemlock tree. Mucl more to the picture than WA.


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Tree Biologist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.
Some people will buy products they do not understand and not buy books that
will give them understanding.






I would say that was
it. You may also have spittle bugs, but not likely. I really hate to
teach people how to kill anything, but something which works using a
very good pump up sprayer which can reach the whole hemlock with
insecticidal soap, bought at the garden center, not detergent, is very
effective. You will have to use several applications about 5 days
apart for about three applications.