Resources  :  EMERALD ASH BORDER

Overview - Emerald Ash Borer

Here at Buckeye Diamond we take great pride in the quality our products. This is especially true when we see our products faced with challenges and yet they continue to go above and beyond to set the industry standard for quality and safety. A recent example of this is the infestation of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an exotic green beetle first discovered in the United States in 2002, that has been wreaking havoc in the forestry and transportation industries ever since.

The first signs of the Emerald Ash Borer appeared in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. It is believed that the beetle arrived from its native Asia into the United States on solid wood packing materials transported by cargo ships or airplanes. The primary target of the EAB is the ash tree, whose strong and elastic wood provides nourishment to both the adult beetle and its larva. The adult beetle does very little damage to the ash tree, but their larva are powerful forces of destruction of it. Adult EABs move between ash trees, eating and laying eggs that hatch into dangerous larva. These small but vigorous destroyers then feed on the inner bark and severely disrupt the ash trees ability to transport water and essential nutrients. Once a tree is infected by the EAB, it slowly erodes and will be dead within one to three years.

Range of Devastation

Most of the devastation is found in southeastern Michigan, but it has been estimated that Emerald Ash Borers have destroyed more than 20 million ash trees in the Midwest, ruining 40,000 square miles of forest in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Canada. The financial impact of this devastation ranges in the tens of millions of dollars to landowners and businesses in the area. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are presently attempting to deal with the outbreak of the EAB by restricting the movement of untreated ash trees and ash tree products.

Although adult EAB's are capable of flying relatively long distances, the primary spread of this infestation is a result of human behaviors. The natural speed of EAB infestation is relatively slow, but the current rate it is spreading across the Midwest is due to humans inadvertently speeding up the process. Behaviors such as moving firewood and logs and using infested wood products in transportation are significantly aiding the problem.

The APHIS has quarantined the entire states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and much of Michigan, and the USDA is currently conducting research projects to determine how best to solve this problem. For now, they are employing a procedure of removing and disposing of infected ash trees, followed by extensive tree replacement and treatment of current forests. The transportation regulations set down by the APHIS and USDA prohibit the inter-state movement of untreated wood and wood products, such as nursery stock, wood chips or pallets, that originated in quarantined areas.

Heat Treated Pallets are in Compliance

APHIS is currently allowing the transportation of wood pallets that have been treated in accordance with the USDA compliance programs, such as ISPM-15. This regulation gives the option of two different treatments that wood must undergo to be considered safe for transportation. Once wood has undergone one of these treatments, it will be virtually impossible for the further spread of wood-born infections, primarily that of the emerald ash borer.

About Buckeye Diamond Pallets

Beginning in 2003, Buckeye Diamond has been an industry leader in safety and compliance, by initiating the process of heat-treating for all our wooden pallets used in transportation. Heat-treatment is one of the two ways to treat wooden pallets in adherence with ISPM-15 standards, and is the process that does not use chemicals, but instead heats the pallet to a core temperature of 133 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. This treatment is so thorough and high-quality that it meets all current USDA and APHIS regulations, enabling shipment to any state or country in the world. Here at Buckeye Diamond, we heat-treat all our wood pallets to ensure that we provide safe care for our customers as well as to help protect the environment. We provide this service in our own manufacturing facilities and guarantee that all our customers will receive the finest quality ship