GRAND RAPIDS, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Area Christmas tree growers are shaping and shearing Fraser firs to make them more appealing to holiday shoppers four months from now. Those growers are facing a new threat, the balsam woolly adelgid.
Though the insect has been on Michigan’s invasive species watch list for years, MDARD has now identified it in Kent County sucking sap from trees as it weakens or kills them. Watch for branches turning brick-red before they die or tree crowns that become misshapen with few needles.
There are 13.5 million fir trees in Michigan, the third-largest Christmas tree-producing state. Report suspected balsam woolly adelgid cases to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network or MDARD.
