密歇根新闻广播 一种昆虫席卷密歇根 破坏力极强

State officials want you to check your trees for a tiny insect. It's called the hemlock¹ woolly adelgid, and it survives by sucking sap from hemlock trees.

This insect was first detected in Michigan in 2006.

Roger Mech is a forest health specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He says although the insects have been seen here before, there are now a few more reasons to worry.

"Our biggest concern now are detections that were made in 2015 over in Muskegon and Ottawa County on the west central side of the Lower Peninsula. Our concern there is that unlike these other isolated² detections, this one is appearing to be much wider spread," he says. "The other concern is that we're finding for the first time hemlock trees that have been killed by hemlock woolly adelgid."

From the DNR:

These tiny insects secrete³ white wax as they feed on sap from hemlock shoots and branches. Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) feeding can kill needles, shoots and branches. Over time, growth slows as trees become less vigorous and trees may take on a grayish-green appearance. Infested⁴ hemlocks⁵, especially large, old trees, are often killed when other stress factors, such as drought, affect trees.

In order to slow the spread of the insect, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is considering a quarantine within the state. Officials want to restrict the movement of things like hemlock nursery stock, and firewood.

Mech says that he's hopeful about the effectiveness of the move.

"This internal quarantine that is now under review is focusing on the Muskegon and Ottawa County areas. And when that is put in place, hopefully sometime early this year, that will go a long way to prevent movement of infested trees and infested branches and so forth⁶ from the infested areas into areas that currently do not have hemlock woolly adelgid."

What should people look for if they have hemlock trees?

"This time of year, what you're going to see is the adult stage. The adult produces white, wooly⁷ wax as a means of protecting itself from weather and from predators⁸. And so if you were to look on the underside of hemlock branches, you'll see this white, fuzzy wool substance there, and that can be hemlock woolly adelgid," says Mech.

Some things could be mistaken for evidence of hemlock woolly adelgid - spider webs, for instance.

But if you think your hemlock tree could be infested, state officials want you to let them know.

1 hemlock   

n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉

参考例句：

• He was condemned to drink a cup of hemlock.判处他喝一杯毒汁。
• Here is a beech by the side of a hemlock,with three pines at hand.这儿有株山毛榉和一株铁杉长在一起，旁边还有三株松树。

2 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

3 secrete   

vt.分泌；隐匿，使隐秘

参考例句：

• The pores of your body secrete sweat.身上的毛孔分泌汗液。
• Squirrels secrete a supply of nuts for winter.松鼠为准备过冬而藏坚果。

4 infested   

adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于

参考例句：

• The kitchen was infested with ants. 厨房里到处是蚂蚁。
• The apartments were infested with rats and roaches. 公寓里面到处都是老鼠和蟑螂。

5 hemlocks   

由毒芹提取的毒药( hemlock的名词复数 )

参考例句：

6 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

7 wooly   

adj.毛茸茸的；糊涂的

参考例句：

• I like the feel of this cloth and it has a warm wooly feel.我喜欢这块布的手感,它摸上去毛茸茸的很暖和。
• He wore a brown t-shirt with jeans and a pair of shoes,with a wooly hat covering his hair.小贝身穿一件棕色t恤，搭配牛仔裤和皮鞋，头戴一顶盖住头发的羊毛帽子。

8 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》