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Containing Firewood Helps In Battle Against Invasive Insects

State officials say there’s a simple way to help them with the serious problem of invasive insects. 

As Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow explains, it all has to do with firewood.

Invasive insects are a serious threat to millions of Ohio trees, which they can burrow into and destroy. State agriculture and natural resources officials are using different tactics to defend parks and residential trees from bugs like the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle. But they need help from Ohioans.

Experts are using different tactics to defend parks and residential trees from bugs like the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle. But they need help from Ohioans.

Brett Gates is with the department of agriculture. He says the best way to contain these insects is to make sure no one moves firewood from one area to another.

Gates: “Folks might look at their firewood and think ‘oh there’s no way there’s anything on it’ but a lot of these invasive insects can only be spotted through a magnifying glass.”

Gates says it’s best to use the wood where you found it or bought it… in other words buy local and burn local. 

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