Invasive pest threatening Michigan's Christmas trees spurs quarantine order up north

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LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - The emergence of an invasive pest in a mid-Michigan county that feeds on fir trees is worrying state officials enough that the agriculture department is rolling out an interior quarantine in one county.

After balsam woolly adelgid (BWA) was found in a forest in Missaukee County last year, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced new restrictions that prohibit removal of fir trees outside the county.

The move is meant to prevent the spread of the invasive species, a sap-feeding insect that attacks fir trees, making them more susceptible to disease.

MDARD's decision to quarantine the movement of trees out of the county is meant to protect the state's timber industry and especially its Christmas tree growers.

"We are urging everyone to do their part in preventing the spread of this invasive species and others like it," said Steve Carlson, MDARD's pest management director. "Although the pest cannot travel far on its own, movement may happen inadvertently on transported nursery stock, yard waste, and even firewood."

The presence of BWA is identifiable by white sacs that form on the bottom of the needles that grow on fir tree branches.

A private forester first spotted the pest in September 2023. MDARD worked with multiple networks that deal with invasive species to determine the extent of the infestation.

After surveying the area and a public comment period, officials made the decision to enact an interior quarantine on the movement of Abies spp. - which are commonly referred to as evergreen coniferous trees.

Michigan ranks third nationally in Christmas tree production. However, the pest's spread threatens the industry due to the difficulty of removing BWA from a tree after it's been infested.

The quarantine order can be found here.