So, you know by now that you cannot move firewood from your home to another location - whether in our state or out of state. The reason: the transmission of invasive insects and diseases.
Case in point: the Emerald Ash Borer.
The adults chew on the leaves of the ash tree. The tiny little larvae burrow under the bark of the native ash. Eventually, their chewing and breeding will bring down the ash tree where it resides by disrupting the flow of water and nutrients.
This is happening all over the country. Arborists and Horticulturists all over are tracking the damage from these pests and it is exploding. First discovered in Michigan in 2002, this insect has killed millions of ash trees. Check out this site to see a map of where the damage has spread. http://emeraldashborer.info/#sthash.mG9RKqA7.rgGERTUE.dpbs
I have been tracking a few patches of ash trees here in Reston. If you have any doctors in the older hospital building at 1800 Town Center Drive, perhaps you have noticed the gorgeous trees in the parking lot between the rows of parking spots. They used to be wonderfully yellow in the fall. I loved to look at them. To see them now, it is so sad. The branches are dying back one at a time. When a branch dies, the plant forces growth closer to the trunk so there appear to be a cluster of suckers growing from the center of the tree.
The other trees are at the Baron Cameron dog park on Fairfax County property. Starting about 5 years ago, I noticed the branches dying back and the telltale sucker growth. As I looked closer, I could see the paths the larvae were chewing under the bark.
You may have seen those large (3' tall), purple, triangular shaped "traps" hanging around town. They are trapping the EAB and the data is being used to track where the insects are expanding. Take a look at this pdf to see what you can do to treat your own ash trees if you have them.
http://emeraldashborer.info/files/Multistate_EAB_Insecticide_Fact_Sheet.pdf
To conclude ~ don't move firewood from your yard to campsites or anywhere else. Virginia has a law against it, as do many other states. This precaution is not just for the EAB but for other damaging insects which are making their way around our region and beyond.
Do your part and help by educating your friends and neighbors. Thanks, I really appreciate it.
