ROCKFORD, Mich. – The Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has announced the state’s first verified detection of Balsam woolly adelgid (BWA) near Rockford in Kent County, not far from Grand Rapids on Michigan’s west side.

In an announcement last month, MDARD Director Gary McDowell said it’s not known how the pest got into the state, however, it’s possible it arrived via nursery stock. “Arborists, tree experts and the public are our extra set of eyes with invasive species,” he said. “This is another critical reminder to look for irregularities with your trees and to not move firewood.”

Balsam woolly adelgid is a tiny, sap-feeding insect that attacks true fir trees, including balsam, Fraser and white fir. The pest has been on Michigan’s Invasive Species Watch List for years because repeated attacks from BWA can weaken trees, cause twig swelling, kill branches and, over time, cause trees to decline and die.

Although new to the state, BWA has infested fir trees in portions of the United States for over 100 years, likely arriving on infested nursery stock from Europe. BWA is characterized by one to two millimeter white woolly tufts on the lower trunk of the tree and possibly on large branches in the spring and summer. It can cause tree twigs to swell and cause a branch or branches to turn brick red and die. Also, tree crowns can become narrow and misshapen with few needles.

“It’s a waxy, protective covering,” said Rob Miller, MDARD’s invasive species prevention and response specialist. “It’s like Hemlock woolly adelgid, except it’s found on the bark and on the main stems and main branches. We’re concerned about Balsam fir, Fraser and white fir. All three are used as Christmas trees in Michigan.”

Michigan Christmas tree growers produce 13.5 million Christmas trees each year and Michigan is the third largest Christmas tree producer in the country. There are some 1.9 billion Balsam fir trees growing in the state.

Although not native to Michigan, Fraser and white fir trees are often planted in home landscapes. Balsam fir is native to the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula and is found throughout the state in residential and park settings. “The state has plans to determine the extent of the infestation,” Miller said. “An extensive survey is planned that will help the state decide a path forward for how to deal with the problem.”

In 2014, MDARD implemented a Balsam woolly adelgid quarantine to regulate the movement of potentially infested nursery stock from areas in North America with known infestations. BWA has been known to exist in New York, New England states, in parts of Canada, the Pacific Northwest, in parts of the Appalachian mountains and the central coast of California. According to Miller, BWA does not move a lot on its own, but is carried by humans who transport firewood and other tree parts, for example, tree greenery used for making Christmas tree wreaths. “Look for irregularities with your trees and, most of all, don’t move firewood,” Miller said.

If you notice any of the above symptoms on a fir tree, take a picture of it, note the location and report it to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network or notify MDARD by emailing MDA-info@michigan.gov or by calling 800-292-3939.