How Transportation of Firewood Can Spread Insects

Over the summer and the long weekends, firewood is on the mind of many Coloradans. Many love to burn firepits when the conditions allow, and in the winter, it’s important to stock up on fuel for the fires to keep warm.

This leads to many people heading out on trips to get firewood. It’s these trips that are leading to the emerald ash borer, a native bark beetle to Colorado forest, and some other insects spreading around the state. It’s important to minimize the spread of the beetles to protect trees in the local area.

Introducing Harmful Beetles to New Areas

It can seem like such a minor thing, right? Why would it matter if beetles are brought to new areas? Well, these beetles are damaging to many trees, especially those that aren’t used to the bark beetles. Spreading the beetles will lead to more damaged and dying trees, which in turn affects air quality and increases the risks of wildfires.

Transporting firewood is one of the main reasons for the spread of emerald ash borers. They are responsible for millions of ash trees dying across 24 states in the U.S. and into Canada. They weren’t in Colorado until 2013.

Quarantines for Moving Firewood

After the initial finding of the borers, the City of Boulder set up a quarantine to help prevent the spread This helps to deal with the threat of the spread, with emerald ash borers usually hiding under the bark, and they don’t care if the bark is living or dead to move from place to place.

There are other steps that you can take to protect the trees when you are transporting firewood:
 Leave any wood that you don’t burn in the forests behind. Don’t bring it with you.
 Look out for any signs of infestations or diseases in the wood. Leave that firewood behind.
 Leave all regulated wood materials in the quarantine area, even if it’s not deemed illegal.
 Talk to firewood dealers about the origins of their logs and buy local as much as possible.
 Look out for anything with the Colorado Forest Products logo on it to know it’s safe to buy.
 Make sure any firewood has been debarked and is thoroughly dried or “cured,” especially when labeled “free of pest concerns.”
 Understand the symptoms of common pests in any wood you intend to burn.

You can minimize the spread of the beetles to preserve the state’s beautiful look. It will take a little longer to collect your firewood, and it may end up costing a little more, but it’s worth it to preserve your own trees.