Young Harris College Beetle Lab Update
By DR. PAUL ARNOLD Sentinel Guest Writer

> Sasajiscymnus Adult rests on this leaf.

Between March 23 and April 22, 2007 we have received three donations from individuals totaling $320. Thank you so much for your support, especially during this time of greater need! In addition to the monetary donations, 14 individuals (7 community people, 6 students and 1 faculty) have donated a total of 87 hours of labor. These individuals have been involved in the lenghty process before releasing adult beetles.

Between March 23 and April 22, 2007 a total of $10,153 was expended. Obviously, this is the greatest amount we have ever expended in one month, primarily because of the renovation of our new "beetle house."

As of April 22, 2007, we have a balance of $1,326 in our Hemlock Project restricted account. Because of our current balance, we have had to put all additional renovation work for the new "beetle house" on hold so we can make sure that we have enough money to pay for supplies and student worker salaries. We currently have two student workers at $6/hr and one worker at $6.50/hr. These students together work a total of 20 - 30 hrs/wk.

Since February, 15 beetle releases have been performed

(Above) A hemlock woody-adelgid.

in Towns, Union and Fannin counties, a total of 27,365 beetles, germination all on National Forest land. The locations of these releases are:

1- 16 February 2007- Slaughter Creek (HCA #71- Union County)-1278 beetles.

2- 21 February 2007- Bower's Cove (HCA #62- Union County)-1475 beetles.

3- 27 February 2007- Tigue Branch (HCA #70-Union County)-2190 beetles

4- 2 March 2007- Lordamercy Cove (HCA #66- Union County)- 1435 beetles

5- 7 March 2007-Alex Cove (HCA #65-Union County)- 2173 beetles

6- 9 March 2007- Mulky Creek (HCA #75-Union County) - 1437 beetles

7- 14 March 2007- Scataway Creek (HCA #40- Towns County)- 2213 beetles

8- 20 March 200 - Ivylog Creek (HCA #56-Union County)- 2189 beetles

9 - 23 March 2007- High Shoals (HCA #52-Towns County)- 1737 beetles

10- 28 March 2007- Swallow's Creek (HCA #42 - Towns County - 1289 beetles

11- 4 April 2007- Corbin Creek (HCA #48-Towns County - 1424 beetles

12- 6 April 2007- Little Rock Creek (HCA #8 - Fannin County - 1536 beetles

13- 10 April 2007 - Cooper Creek Scenic Area (HCA #74 - Union County)- 2602 beetles

14- 14 April 2007-Bob Creek (HCA #58-Union County)- 1832 beetles

15- 19 April 2007-Big Bald Cov - 2555 beetles

In addition to these beetles, 480 beetles were given to North Georgia College & State University for molecular analysis, bringing the total of beetles produced to 27,845.

As of April 22, 2007 a total of 123 rearing cages have been set up, with most cages currently yielding 600-800 beetles each. We have already greatly exceeded our numbers from last year, and it looks like we are on a pace to produce 40,000 - 50,000 adult beetles for the year (barring catastrophes). If these numbers hold, that will more than double our production of last year.

Beginning Friday, April 20, 2007 we began to put beetle eggs into clip cages for release, and we anticipate our first egg release to occur this week. Last year, field reconnaissance performed by Jim Wentworth, Rachelle Powell, and me showed some adults found on egg release sites. Hatch success of beetle eggs exceeded 95% on most release sites in 2006.

In addition to producing beetles, we also performed a workshop on Dr. Scott Costa's technique of HWA infestation assessment on April 14, 2007. This workshop was attended by 21 participants from several localities in north Georgia and South Carolina. The participants saw a powerpoint presen- tation and eventually were turned loose in an infested hemlock stand to practice the technique.

I am tremendously grateful to Jim Wentworth and Rachelle Powell for assisting me in the field portion of the workshop. And I am also indebted to LayLa Burgess from the Clemson lab and Ron Stephens from the USFS who contributed much of their knowledge about control efforts, and helped out with questions.

It is hoped that soon a plan will be developed for a systematic assessment of HWA infestation in the field that can supply information on infestation patterns and possibly the effects of control efforts on HWA. The same day as the workshop, the Georgia ATC and Jim Went-worth showed a group of Boys & Girls Club participants from Gainesville our laboratory facility and this group also performed a beetle release at Bob Creek. The kids seemed to really enjoy being a part of this effort!

We have now run out of money for the renovation of our "beetle house," so the rest of the project is "on hold" until further funds become available. We have several other needs: More volunteer labor. We are coming up on the end of spring semester at Young Harris College. Unfortunately, this means that I will lose my student workers and student volunteers to graduation, summer vacations, other summer jobs, etc. Our need for community volunteers increases when the students leave, so, any help you can give us in that regard is appreciated. People who would be willing to bring in infested branches are always appreciated. Please contact me beforehand so I can give you tips on collection and transport of infested branches!

After May 1st our new summer hours will "kick in". They will be: Monday through Friday, 8:15 -10:20 a.m., and 1- 3 p.m. Feel free to come by any time and visit. Our lab is located in room 109 in the Maxwell Center on the Young Harris College campus. Call ahead on my cell phone: (706) 781-5946, or my office phone (706) 379-5131, both of which have voice mail. Anyone interested in helping us should contact me. Thanks to Dr. Arnold, and the YHC Beetle Lab, for the 2,555 beetles released up here in Brasstown Cove last Thursday. Preserving the genetic info of these largest Hemlocks in Georgia is of value to us all. And to the beetles......Bon Apetit! Dan Vickers, DMD