Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Natural Resources are warning residents against transporting untreated firewood.
Susie Iott is an invasive species program specialist with MDARD. She said transporting untreated firewood poses a risk to native trees.
“More than 140 different pests and plant diseases can hitch a ride in untreated firewood and many of these pests are very small and difficult to see with the naked eye,” Iott said.
The hemlock woolly adelgid is one of these hard-to-see invasive pests and can ultimately kill hemlock trees, Iott said.
“These insect pests can kill native trees, reduce biodiversity and they can damage areas that are critical for wildlife,” she said.
Oak wilt, one of the diseases of concern, can spread quickly through oak trees and cause some other detrimental effects to the area of introduction.
Iott said the agriculture and food businesses in the affected area can be hurt. The spread may result in a quarantine or restrictions that prevent businesses from running as usual, she said.
Even invasive pests that aren’t hard to see, like the Asian long-horned beetle, can hide in untreated firewood by burrowing deep into the logs, she said.
The agencies recommend using certified, heat-treated firewood if possible as the pests will be killed in the treatment process. Otherwise, she said campers should wait until they have reached their destination and buy firewood locally.
“A good rule of thumb is that firewood should never be moved more than 10 miles from when it was originally cut,” Iott said.
As camping season progresses, using these firewood recommendations can reduce the ecological impact of invasive pests and diseases on native Michigan forests.
