Adelges tsugae was NOT FOUNDI am happy because the samples were fairy easy to obtain.
I am surprised not to find hemlock wooly adelgid.
I had walk through snow to get to the tree.
No white insects or wooly adelgid nymphs.
Hemlocks were not given a gray appearance.
No white fuzz on the underside of the hemlock needles.
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Thanks for Looking!
It is great to have other eyes looking out for this pest in North Berwick! The Maine Forest Service is in the midst of hemlock woolly adelgid survey. Five sites have been surveyed in North Berwick with no adelgid found (at least 200 branches/site examined). You mentioned no wool on the undersides of the needles, I'll offer a slight correction. The adelgid attaches at the base of a needle, but the wool usually looks like it is attached to the underside of the twig. There are several other tiny white things that are found on needles and can be confused with hemlock woolly adelgid. Of course the wool can be relocated to needles, so it is always a good idea to take a closer look at white specks on hemlock branches. Speaking of white things on needles, I love the picture of snow-covered hemlock. The graceful, drooping form of hemlock branches and the tendency of the species to have a deep crown are accentuated by the snow.