Elongate hemlock scale found in Oregon

Williams said this insect arrived in Oregon this fall on Christmas trees brought in from North Carolina. The Oregon Department of Agriculture found the pest and ordered the infested trees destroyed, but not before some had been shipped to big box stores along the West Coast.

The fear is that when the Christmas trees are left for weeks or months in a yard or dumped in a park or the woods, eggs laid on them will hatch and the pest may escape into nearby trees.

If the elongate hemlock scale does get established here, it could be bad news for the state’s timber economy, according to a department press release. The pest attacks not only hemlocks, but several conifer species native to Oregon such as true firs, spruce, and Douglas fir. The scale feeds on the underside of the needles, creating a yellowish-brown waxy layer that is present year-round.

Williams advised that people inspect trees obtained at “big box” stores before disposing of them. Email the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Forest Health Unit at wyatt.williams@oregon.gov if you suspect you have found the elongate hemock scale. It may be safest to cut up such trees and place them in garbag bags for disposal in a closed container.