Land Stewardship Begins Here

We provide sustainable HWA management

A biological solution for private landowners

Managing HWA is not an easy task and there’s no simple solution. Biological control, when used in combination with integrated pest management techniques may effectively reduce the economic investment required for private land owners to manage HWA on their property.

Reconstructing the HWA management paradigm

A successfully established colony of laricobius nigrinus will continue to predate HWA, potentially reducing the need for systemic insecticide treatments. To incorporate biological control into your HWA management plan, complete the registration form below and one of our team members will contact you shortly to answer your questions and guide you through the program.

Note: Releases are performed in the Fall (September-November). We have a limited supply of L.nigrinus each year. For this reason, we suggest that you apply for release as soon as possible. A deposit may be required to reserve your beetles depending on the size of your order.

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Laricobius nigrinus is successfully establishing in regions throughout the eastern United States. To learn more about successful establishments in your area, go to:

https://hemlock-woolly-adelgid-national-initiative-gmsts.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/gmsts::recoveriesdisplay/explore

The Release Process

HWA predator beetles are released in the fall. In most situations, only 1-2 releases are required for establishment. Release size (number of beetles) may vary depending on the size of your property and the severity of infestation. A careful assessment will be performed by your forester to determine which release program is most suited to your needs.

Our Laricobius beetles are reared from coastal PNW strains of L.nigrinus. The beetles are kept in our laboratory year round, happily sustained on a diet of live adelgids, until they have completed development. Once our Little Lari Beetles are ready for release, our team will prepare your colony for overnight shipping and notify you of the arrival date.

Thorough instructions will be provided prior to arrival regarding the receiving and release of your colony. Once released, L.nigrinus will actively hunt down populations of HWA on your property. A careful monitoring program will be in place to confirm establishment 2-3 years after release.

Note: we are sold out of colonies for 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Once released, L.nigrinus will use host searching cues to hunt down nearby populations of HWA. They will continue to predate on HWA for years after establishing successfully.

  • Laricobius beetles will only fly in search of food. If enough HWA is present, L.nigrinus will stay on the same tree for the entire winter. 2-3 years after establishing, L.nigrinus may spread 1-2 miles per year in each direction.

  • Laricobius nigrinus is a toothed-fungus beetle in the family Derodontidae. Their genus only feeds on adelgids. L.nigrinus is a specialist predator in that it only feeds on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. We call this “host specificity”.

  • Like most insects, Laricobius beetles fall prey to birds, reptiles, and other insects. There is no need to worry as this is part of a natural population flux. L.nigrinus is host specific in that it only eats Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. Over time, their populations will synchronize with each other, meaning there is no need for additional predators.

  • In most cases, a release of 500-1000 L.nigrinus beetles is sufficient for successful establishment. For smaller properties, a colony size of 300 may suffice. For less than an acre, L.nigrinus can be applied as a biopesticide at a rate of 1 beetle/foot of height for each hemlock.

  • The average cost per release is $2,500 for forest properties between 10 & 50 acres in size. This includes your beetles, permitting, monitoring, and support. Smaller releases are available for properties below 10 acres. Forest lands over 50 acres may require multiple releases.

  • Releasing biological control does not eliminate the need for insecticide treatments. Biological control will supplement the need for insecticides, and should be part of your integrated HWA management plan. Our team will educate you on when, where, and how to use insecticide treatments in combination with biological control. Combined, our system provides the most economical and sustainable solution for managing HWA on the market.

  • For most properties, a starting colony of 500-1000 Laricobius nigrinus is all that is required to successfully establish. Smaller release are available and may be recommended depending on the number of hemlock trees on your property.

  • Laricobius nigrinus will not eradicate its food own source. Once L.nigrinus has depleted a population of HWA, it moves on to the next tree, leaving its young behind to finish the job in the months to come. So long as infestation levels of HWA remain below the lethal threshold (30%), your hemlock tree will not undergo hypertensive response leading to mortality

  • Biological control can and should be used in combination with insecticide treatments. When, where, and how to release biological control depends on the insecticides used and time since treatment. Talk with one of our licensed foresters today to learn if biological control is a good fit for your HWA management plan.