About 20 scientists from eight agencies including the National Park Service, West Virginia Department of Agriculture and Forest Service gathered together on June 20 at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia to discuss hemlock woolly adelgid and Imidacloprid and effects on non-target species.Morgantown Forest Service Forest Health Group Leader Rick Turcotte gave an hour-long keynote presentation on eastern hemlock, HWA and Imidacloprid. Turcotte’s presentation covered background information on eastern hemlock; biology distribution, threat, and management of HWA; Forest Service initiative; arthropods associated with hemlock; and Imidacloprid.

Discussion topics included the current status and distribution of HWA, HWA management, the impact and effect of imidacloprid on arthropods (aboreal, soil and aquatic), salamanders, soil microbes and its quantification in soil and water in treated areas.