Where to set heat treatment requirements for domestic firewood and wood packaging materials used in international trade? Newsletter of the Michigan Entomological Society

Abstract

Bark− and wood−infesting insects (which we’ll refer to as borers) can be transported in solid wood to new areas both domestically, especially in firewood, and internationally, especially in wood packaging material (WPM) like crating and pallets (Haack 2006). Borer generation times range from months to multiple years, and as wood dries, such as with stacked firewood, generation times can be extended (Haack and Slansky 1987, Petrice and Haack 2007). The current international standard for heat treating WPM, known as ISPM 15 (IPPC 2019), requires that the wood be heated to at least 56°C for 30 continuous minutes throughout the wood, including the core. For interstate movement of firewood in the US, regulations vary from state to state. Some have no restrictions at all, while others require 56°C for 30 min, 60°C for 60 min, or 71.1°C

Citation

Haack, Robert A.; Petrice, Toby R. 2022. Where to set heat treatment requirements for domestic firewood and wood packaging materials used in international trade? Newsletter of the Michigan Entomological Society. 66(3): 2-3.