YHC Beetle Lab Update

So far in 2007, thirty-one adult beetle & egg releases have been performed in Towns, Union, Fannin & Lumpkin counties, a total of 41,843 adult beetles & 15,492 beetle eggs, all on National Forest land. The locations of these releases are: (For the month of May)

#22 - 1 May 2007 - Wolf Creek (HCA #63 - Union County) - 1446 beetle eggs

#23 - 1 May 2007 - Wolf Creek (HCA #63 - Union County) - 1524 adult beetles

#24 - 4 May 2007 - Ivylog Creek (HCA #56 - Union County) - 2704 beetle eggs

#25 - 4 May 2007 - Ivylog Creek (HCA #56 - Union County) - 2461 adult beetles

#26 - 8 May 2007 - Bowers Cove (HCA #62 - Union County) - 1514 adult beetles

#27 - 8 May 2007 - Bowers Cove (HCA #62 - Union County) - 2225 beetle eggs

#28 - 11 May 2007 - Wolf Creek (HCA #63 - Union County) - 2891 beetle eggs

#29 - 11 May 2007 - Wolf Creek (HCA #63 - Union County) - 1351 adult beetles

#30 - 16 May 2007 - Bob Creek (HCA #58 - Union County) - 1917 beetle eggs

#31 - 21 May 2007 - Waters Creek (HCA #72 - Lumpkin County) - 1124 beetle eggs

The total adult beetles released since production began in 2006 is 66,580 (24,737 in 2006 & 41,843 in 2007). The total amount of beetle eggs released since production began in 2006 is 51,545. This brings our grand total of production for the last two years so far to 118,125!! We will probably continue to release beetle eggs and adults through the middle of June. At that time we will begin summer storage and save our remaining beetles for next year.

As of May 28, 2007 a total of 134 rearing cages have been set up. Currently in the field, the adelgid is beginning its second egg-laying cycle (progrediens eggs), which means that our beetles will probably increase their egg production during the next couple of weeks. After that, beetle egg production will lessen significantly. At this point, we will stop our oviposition jars after the first or second week in June. We will continue to remove adult beetles from our rearing cages for a little while after that, but most of the adult beetles we produce after the 2nd week in June will be "stored" and used as next year's breeder beetles. We will continue to do clip cage egg releases for a couple more weeks. Although I have only calculated hatch percentage of eggs at one egg release site (Soapstone Ck.), hatch success at that site was over 90%!

On 9 May 2007, I consulted with the Big Canoe Property Owners Association. Together, we discussed the treatment options for "landscape" hemlocks and "wild" hemlocks in their community. Their "Save our Hemlocks" committee has been very active in investigating ways that they can deal with the approaching HWA infestation in their area. On 17 May 2007, the Lake Nottely Improvement Association held their spring Education meeting, and asked me to present the current status of HWA infestation in Union County, along with efforts to try to control this infestation both chemically and biologically. Next month, on 17 June 2007 at 1 p.m., I will give a presentation to the Institute for Continued Learning (ICL) at Young Harris College as a part of their summer seminar series. This lecture will be at the Maxwell Center at Young Harris College.

As always, we have several needs:1. Volunteer labor for next winter & spring.

2. Monetary Donations. We are certainly in a much better financial situation now than we have been in since the project began in 2005. I certainly thank all of those individuals, partnerships, foundations & associations that have put us in this position! I have hired one additional student worker, Clayton Franklin, who will work with us until the end of June. My other student workers will also have departed by that time. I should be able to hire several student workers next year with our current level of funding. I eventually would like to hire part-time help from the community (8 months, 20 hrs/week, at $12 - 15/hr) to help maintain the new facility and perform many of the lab duties as well as supervise volunteer labor. For each parttime person, $10,000 will be needed per year. Much of the money that we have received from grants so far is earmarked only for facilities and supplies and not for labor. Therefore, we would certainly still welcome donations that could go toward this goal of hiring part-time help. If anyone wishes to donate to this project, please send your donation to: Dr. Paul T. Arnold, P.O. Box 68, 1 College Street, Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA 30582. Make checks payable to Young Harris College and put in the memo of the check "Hemlock Project".

Many questions have been asked about what homeowners can do regarding their own hemlocks. Remember that the biopredatory beetles are not a viable option for most homeowners. Predatory beetles need undisturbed & continuous forest ecosystems to be effective. The problem with releasing biopredatory beetles on "landscape " trees is that once they have eaten their fill of adelgid, they will fly off in search of other trees and leave your trees. The adelgid will then comeback next year, and you will quite likely be beetle-free once again. If beetles are released in denser, continuously forested environments, they will hopefully stay in those areas eventually establishing an equilibrium with the adelgid. The adelgid will never go away, but the hope is that the beetle will eventually help keep it at a sublethal level. The most effective method of control for homeowners is to use either horticultural oil application for smaller trees or the systemic insecticide imidocloprid for larger trees, or a combination of these two treatments. Because of the expense of imidocloprid, it is sometimes prohibitive for property owners to treat all of their hemlocks. In that case, you may need to select some of the most important hemlocks on your property to treat. Since treatment only needs to occur every two years, you can alternate which hemlocks to treat each year. For more information on chemical treatments, contact either your county agent or your local Georgia Forestry Commission office.

Currently we are trying to establish beetle populations in the field, especially in Hemlock Conservation areas designated by the USFS. These areas, along with some public state lands, have been designated as high-priority sites because of their ecological importance.

Feel free to come by any time and visit. Our lab is currently located in room 109 in the Maxwell Center on the Young Harris College campus You may wish to call ahead since occasionally I will have meetings that may necessitate my absence. I can be contacted on my cell phone: (706) 781- 5946, or my office phone (706) 379-5131.

Paul T. Arnold, Ph.D.

Professor of Biology & Director of the YHC Predatory Beetle Rearing Facility