While transporting firewood into Saskatchewan from out of province might seem innocent enough, it could have a devastating effect on the ecosystem.
There are a number of insects that could be living in that wood — insects that can carry diseases or feed on plants and trees to the point of killing them.
“Insects can travel long, long distances under the bark and in the wood of firewood when it’s transported around the province and into the province. So please, our message is: don’t give insects or pests a free ride into areas where they’re not native,” said Dr. Rory McIntosh, provincial forest insect and disease expert with the Ministry of Environment’s forest services branch.
McIntosh noted that three insect species are designated as pests under the Forest Resources Management Act in Saskatchewan.
The most common is the elm bark beetle, which carries the fungus that causes Dutch elm disease.
The emerald ash borer may look beautiful — bright emerald green in colour — but it can cause a lot of damage. The wood-boring beetle lives in, colonizes and kills all species of ash trees.
McIntosh said the emerald ash borer was last detected in Canada in Winnipeg in 2017. As soon as it was discovered, restrictions were put in place in Saskatchewan, and the insect was designated as a pest.
"That being said, there is a lot of movement of emerald ash borer in the States. In 2021, I think it was, the United States federal government deregulated it and left it up to individual states to restrict the movement and spread of emerald ash borer. So there is a high likelihood that beetles could spread into Saskatchewan from the south,” McIntosh said.
So if you are travelling to the United States and come across dead trees or dead wood, McIntosh said it’s best to leave it there and not try to bring it into the province.
The third insect species listed as a pest is the mountain pine beetle. It lives under the bark and is responsible for killing pine trees. It was the insect that caused significant damage in British Columbia in the early 2000s and killed many pine trees in Jasper National Park in 2018.
McIntosh said once these pest insects are introduced to a new environment, it doesn’t take long for them to spread.
“Wood with bark attached is one way many insects can travel really, really long distances and turn up in new environments and become established before you even have a chance to see where it is,” he explained.
McIntosh recommended that you buy and burn locally-sourced firewood to help control the spread of these insects.
You can learn more about these insects and forest health by visiting the Government of Saskatchewan’s website.