I haven’t treated my trees, but I don’t see HWA on my hemlocks right now. Are they completely gone?

HWA do not have their classic “woolly coat” during certain months of the year and therefore can be very difficult to see without magnification. In our region, if you haven’t treated your hemlocks with insecticide, you will likely see the HWA “return” when they begin to put on wool as the year progresses. Cold winters and late freezes can contribute to natural mortality in HWA populations, but HWA populations in Western North Carolina have been pretty consistent over the past few years.  It is unlikely that they are completely gone without insecticide application.