Dates set for Cades Cove closure

The Great Smoky Mountains announced today the dates for hemlock woolly adelgid spray operations that will close the Cades Cove Loop Road for two days next week.

At this point, the Cades Cove Loop Road is tentatively scheduled to be closed to all public use on Wednesday, December 1 through Thursday, December 2. Spray operations are weather dependent, so closure dates may be rescheduled if necessary.

The park will be conducting foliar treatments in which hemlocks are treated with insecticidal soap or horticultural oils. Sprayed from truck-mounted spray units, the sprays smother and dry-out the adelgids on contact. The equipment can spray up to 80 feet into the canopy of large roadside trees and can efficiently treat areas of smaller trees. This method kills only the insects that are present on the tree at the time of application and requires retreatment every six months to one year.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com