Firewood can move forest pests long

distances.

• Insects and diseases can be in, on or under the bark of firewood, or even deep within the wood itself. You often cannot see if they are there.
• Hauling insect-infested firewood from home dramatically speeds up the spread of invasive insects that harm our forests.
• An invasive insect population might spread a few miles on its own in a single year.
• Moving infested wood can spread the same pest hundreds of miles in a single day.
• With global trade our forests are getting more pressure from insects and diseases inadvertently brought to North America and then moved with firewood.

What pests can be moved by firewood?

• Emerald ash borer is one of the scariest insects that can be moved with firewood. It has the potential to kill all ash in North America and has already killed millions of trees in the mid-west.
• Emerald ash borer is found in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Ontario, Canada as of 2008.
• There is a federal quarantine on all firewood in all or portions of these states and FIREWOOD CAN NOT BE TRANSPORTED ACROSS QUARANTINE LINES.
• Other serious insects and diseases can be moved with firewood as well. Some of these are:
• Sirex Woodwasp - found in New York, Vermont and Ontario, Canada
• Asian Longhorned Beetle - found in New York, New Jersey and Toronto, Canada
• Oak Wilt - a disease found in central US.

What can you do to help?

Leave YOUR firewood home when you travel.

Buy wood where you burn it OR buy kiln dried firewood  - Don’t Give Bugs a Free Ride.

For more information contact:

Jay Lackey, Firewood Program Coordinator

Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation

802-476-0178 or jay.lackey@state.vt.us

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