•November 16, 2016•

What’s in your firewood? Tree-killing insects or diseases may be hiding in or on firewood that may be transported hundreds of miles to campsites or fireplaces.

The spread of invasive pests often has serious economic consequences, according to Kelly Estes, coordinator of the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS), at the Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute.

In a 2011 study published in the PLOS ONE scientific journal, researchers projected that wood-boring insects are anticipated to cause nearly $1.7 billion in local government expenditures in the U.S. and $830 million in lost residential property values over a ten-year time span.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.