Alert: What is Hiding in Your Firewood -
The Asian Long-Horned Beetle?

This exotic beetle, originally from China, is finding its way into the forests of New England. As you know, it has contaminated trees in Worcester County and more recently in Brookline.

The Maine Legislature has banned all out-of-state firewood because it can bring harmful insects and diseases that can destroy Maine forests!

Read the alert here.

According to state experts, neither the Asian Long-Horned Beetle (ALB) nor the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) have been found anywhere in Maine and New Hampshire as of today.

I only sell firewood from trees in Maine and New Hampshire and I keep on top of this serious issue. If you would like to do so as well, here are the key online sites:

Maine. gov

University of New Hampshire

Massachusetts Natural Resources Collaborations

The Asian Long-Horned Beetle is found in hardwood trees. In case you need to identify these these exotic, destructive insects see the photos here.

Overview of the ALB

Known as a pest in its home country, China, the ALB is shiny with black and white spots and is around 1 to 1.5 inches long. The ALB has the potential to cause more damage than the Dutch Elm disease, Chestnut blight and the Gypsy moth combined.

Female’s chew depressions in trees and lay 35-90 eggs that hatch in 10-15 days inside the bark.The grubs develop into caterpillars that tunnel beneath the bark and feed on the cambium layer for several weeks

Once they enter the woody tissue of the tree they continue to feed and develop during the winter. The larvae pupate through the spring and emerge as adult beetles in the summer to make and feed on the bark.

Remedies

The only effective measure to eliminate them is to cut and chip or burn infested trees

What Does It Mean To Firewood

The larvae live deep inside trees, people can unknowingly move the pest in firewood, live trees and fallen lumber.

Quarantined areas do not allow the removal of firewood, trimmed branches, stumps, roots, or other wood debris.

Do not purchase firewood from quarantined areas.

You Can Feel Safe.

My firewood is from Maine and Northern New Hampshire - keep in mind, neither the Asian Long-Horned Beetle (ALB) nor the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) have been found anywhere in Maine and New Hampshire.

Here to be of help....

See You in Your Yard...

Erik

Direct Mobile: 781-443-3724

hawkins.erik@gmail.com