This online webinar will focus on biological control, a long-term strategy that uses natural predators to reduce Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) populations. Current research in Nova Scotia includes evaluating and releasing specialist predators such as Laricobius nigrinus, a beetle that feeds on HWA and has shown promise for establishing in affected stands. This work is advancing with federal and provincial support for predator rearing and release programs within a broader integrated management approach.
Presenters Jeff Fidgen and Dr. Kirk Hillier will share current findings on predator establishment, research progress, and how biological control fits within long-term hemlock conservation. Woodland stewards will leave with a clearer understanding of the role biological control can play in sustaining hemlock ecosystems as part of a resilient, multi-faceted approach to managing HWA.
This webinar is part of a three-part series designed to equip woodland stewards with practical, research-informed tools for responding to Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), an invasive, aphid-like insect that has been devastating hemlock forests in Nova Scotia since its discovery in 2017. Follow the links below to register for parts 2 and 3.
Webinar 1: Chemical Treatment Options and Resources for Woodland Stewards (February 26th)
Webinar 3: Silviculture Strategies to Help Prepare & Adapt your Woodland for HWA
Presenter Bios
Kirk Hillier
Kirk Hillier is a Professor of Biology at Acadia University and Director of INSECTA and the Acadia Agri-Tech Laboratory. His research program focuses on the development of sustainable technologies to manage insects that affect agriculture, forests, and human health. More recently, his work has focused on biological control and risk assessment strategies for managing invasive forest pests, including hemlock woolly adelgid, with ongoing research on predator releases, non-target impacts, and ecosystem-level outcomes in eastern Canadian forests.
Jeff Fidgen
Jeff Fidgen is a Biologist with the Canadian Forest Service. Jeff has over 33 years of experience in forest entomology, 25 of which have been spent researching Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. He is part of a large research team at CFS studying HWA. Recently, he has been collecting, releasing and evaluating introduced predators of the adelgid that will hopefully give hemlock a fighting chance against HWA in Nova Scotia.