JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016 • NEBRASKAland 17
What Lives in Your
Firewood?
By Julie Van Meter
State Entomologist, Nebraska
Department of Agriculture
Invasive pests threaten the plants
and animals in the state of Nebraska
and can do great damage to our
environment. One way we can all work
together to help protect the trees in our
state from invasive pests is to think
about the firewood we use.
Many damaging insects and diseases
can be transported from infested
to non-infested areas through the
movement of firewood. These new
infestations can cause tremendous
damage to forests and street trees,
and are very expensive to manage and
control.
Tree pests known to be transported
in firewood include emerald ash borer,
Gypsy moth, Asian longhorn beetle and
thousand cankers disease of walnut.
These pests cannot move very far
on their own, but when people move
firewood, they can inadvertently move
pests hundreds of miles.
Think of firewood as a shipping
container. When a tree is cut down
and made into firewood, any pests in
or on that tree can be moved with the
firewood. Once the firewood gets to
a new destination, insects can emerge
from the firewood to infest new
trees. Spores or other disease-causing
organisms may be released from the
firewood and find a new home on
nearby trees.
Some pests, including fungal spores
or insect eggs, are nearly impossible to
see with the naked eye. It is never safe
to assume the wood is free of pests.
There are a few simple steps that you
can take to protect Nebraska's trees
from invasive pests.
•
Buy locally harvested firewood.
Ask the firewood seller where they
harvest the firewood to confirm it is
local.
•
When you travel, leave your
firewood at home. Instead, check with
the local campground or park office for
information
on where
to purchase
local firewood.
•
Don't bring firewood back home
with you when you finish camping;
leave it for the next camper.
•
Finally, be aware of firewood
regulations. State and federal
regulations exist that impact the
movement of firewood. Before you
travel, visit Dontmovefirewood.org for
state specific firewood information.
Taking these simple steps will go a
long way toward protecting Nebraska's
trees, whether they are in your favorite
campground, in natural areas or right in
your own backyard. ■
Bug Banter
Presented by
DAVID
CAPPAERT,
MICHIGAN
STATE
UNIVERSITY,
BUGWOOD.ORG
Emerald Ash Borer
