Beetles released in southern Vermont to deal with hemlock pest

POWNAL, Vt. (WWLP-AP) - Nearly 400 small black beetles have been released onto four Vermont hemlock trees near the Massachusetts state line to feed off an insect that's been destroying the trees.

The trees in Pownal are infested by the woolly adelgid . The plan is for the beetles to reproduce, spread and control the adelgid population.  The beetle, a native of the Pacific northwest, eats nothing but adelgids.

The Bennington Banner reports the trees are on property owned by the Town of WIlliamstown, located just over the Massachusetts state line. The property lines a tributary of the Hoosac River, which Williamstown uses as part of their drinking water source.

Authorities say beetles' presence in Pownal is the first time they have been seen in Bennington County. They were found by volunteers. Their most visible form is a white, waxy substance that appears on the needled branches of hemlock trees. The adelgids produce this material as they feed on the plant's fluids.