Abrams Creek Campground in the Blount County area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park will close for one night on Monday, July 22, to allow park biologists to apply an insecticidal soap treatment to the hemlock woolly adelgid infested hemlock trees. In addition, park maintenance crews will take the opportunity to cut down hazardous trees located in the area.

Campers will have to vacate the 16-site campground by 12 pm. Monday to accommodate the day’s activities. The campground will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 23, which will provide sufficient time for the soap solution to dry overnight.

Park biologists will use fire pump units to spray the canopy of the trees where the masses of adelgids are present. The non-native hemlock woolly adelgid affixes itself on the base of the tree’s needles and feeds by sucking sap, causing the target tree to die within several years. The soap is made up of fatty acids derived from plant and animal fats and oils and presents no threat to humans or the environment.

“This is a good time to conduct this treatment since the adelgids are in a stage that is most susceptible to the insecticide.” said Park Forester Kris Johnson. “While this method is not practical to treat large or isolated stands in backcountry areas, it is an effective control method in developed areas which can help to reduce the populations on the treated stands.

Since the park confirmed the first-recorded infestation in mid-May, about 30 separate sites have been identified as having hemlocks affected by the adelgids, a tiny insect native to Asia.

The park began use of a range of treatments to help slow or maybe prevent the widespread loss of hemlocks in the Smokies. When first detected, the park treated accessible stands in North Carolina with the soap solution and a pesticide injected in the soil at the base of the tree. Then in early June, the park introduced a predator beetle native to Asia at four selected sites in the park in Tennessee and North Carolina. Park biologists will monitor the treated areas to determine the effectiveness of each of these applications in controlling the adelgid populations.