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Hemlock Being Defoliated By Spruce Budworm

Photo of spruce budworm eating hemlock needles.

Spruce budworm defoliation this spring on hemlock makes the trees look thin. Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR

By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff; Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665

Spruce budworm is finished feeding for the year, but the damage from the insects is still being observed.

Spruce budworm prefers to feed on balsam fir and spruce, but a previous newsletter article noted that tamarack had been observed as 100% defoliated by spruce budworm. More recently, stands of hemlock with moderate to severe defoliation were also identified.

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