So you are curled up by the fire, great book in hand, a glass of your favorite wine by your side. It’s time to ask yourself “Where’s my firewood from?” Perhaps you picked up some wood from the millions of beetle kill pine logs that are in the Colorado mountains. It’s there, there’s a ton of it and it’s free or cheap. But…should we? Could we inadvertently spread pine beetle to the Front Range? Have we already spread it?
For the answer to these questions, I spoke with Philip Murphy, Colorado State Forest Service, and Whitney Cranshaw, CSU Extension Entomology Specialist. Here’s what they both had to say. If the wood you plan to bring is infested with live mountain pine beetle larvae, you run the risk of bringing the beetle into the city. This could happen if you cut trees that are still somewhat alive. The wood from totally dead trees is ok; the beetles leave dead trees and move on to the living. The very best way to assure that your logs are safe is to look for the presence of live larvae. It can be seen by stripping away the bark on several pieces. If you locate any larvae do not bring the wood into the community. Look also for small pin head sized exit holes in the trunk. If these are present, the insect is gone and the wood is okay.
So what if you or your neighbor DID bring infested wood to the city? Dr. Cranshaw assures us that the chances of it causing much problem with healthy, well-cared for, living trees are fairly minor. Vigorously growing pines that are adequately watered can kill off a great many pine beetles. However, if pines in your neighborhood are stressed, they could very likely succumb to the beetle.
Moving any firewood, dear gardener, is an iffy proposition. Consider this: much of the tree devastation that we have experienced across the county has been exacerbated by people moving firewood.
• The emerald ash borer that has destroyed millions and millions, in fact, most of the ash trees in the Midwest and East was introduced through wood packing material carried in cargo planes or ships from Asia. It continues to be spread by firewood.
• The gypsy moth and oak wilt are spread by firewood movement.
• The beetle-borne fungus “thousand cankers disease” that is destroying all the walnuts in the metro area is suspected to have been brought from New Mexico on firewood.
• The Dutch elm disease came from a load of logs infected with the elm bark beetle that was moved from the Netherlands and has destroyed most of the American Elms in the USA.
• Other bugs that have moved into the Front Range from firewood are the Ips beetle that attacks pine and spruce and red turpentine beetles that attack native pine species.
Asian longhorn beetle that attacks maples, poplar, willows and black locust; Sirex woodwasp that attacks pines have destroyed trees in the Midwest through firewood movement.
Many agricultural and natural resources professionals believe that the movement of firewood is probably the biggest threat to tree populations. So many people burn wood and so many people move wood without thinking. Many states have prohibitions against moving firewood from one county to another and federal regulations prohibit moving any ash logs out of quarantined areas. (Colorado does not have a prohibition.) Look to your conscience, dear gardener, if you decide to move firewood or bring beetle kill logs to your home. At the very least, check for bugs.
Pine Beetle Larvae
Here's more information:
http://www.dontmovefirewood.org/.html
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05528.html
http:http://csfs.colostate.edu/documents/MPBs_in_Front_Range_Trees_092308.pdf.html
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