Wood pests

[hockenbery]

I ran across two item today that relate to wood pests that may be of interest

1. An AP article you may have seen in your paper.

Link to the article:
www.theledger.com/article/20111010/APA/1110100544

The economic impact on agriculture is enormous. There is also the very real impact on turning woods and the restrictions on wood movement to slow the spread of the wood pests.

2. A PowerPoint on an Asian ambrosia beetle? This starry with a general discussion on how ambrosia beetles work which you may fin interesting if you turn Box elder or ambrosia Maple. The article notes red bay as being used by woodturners, population of red bays being totally wiped out where in areas of the south east where ,.the Asian beetle is present, and cites a florida law that restricts the movement of unprocessed wood more than 50 miles.

http://www.floridainvasives.org/Heartland/links/LaurelWiltJeffreyEickwortCarrieKotalDOF.pdf

This article also indicate the beetle is a threat to avocado and camphor.
Camphor is an undesirable exotic another species gone wild but a great turning wood.

Al

 

[John Torchick]

My son built a house a couple of years ago. His hardwood floors had some kind of wood borer in it. You would see a tiny pile of sawdust and a tiny hole where the critter was living. He had several boards replaced. I sold hardwood flooring that was imported. It had to be fumigated for so many hours before it left port. Never had any problems. However, in the case of Florida, how do they know if wood is moved more than 50 miles unless there is an insect problem that arises?

 

[James E Gaydos]

And our Govt. just spent how much to raid a guitar maker?????????

 

[Ed_McDonnell]

Al - Scary stuff. Thanks for posting the info. I was unaware of the law. Guess I'm glad I haven't done any wood exchanges lately.

Here's the definition of "Unprocessed Wood Products" from the law:

11) Unprocessed wood products. Bark, trunks, limbs, stumps or other woody plant material that results from yard waste, tree trimming, tree removal including wood, incorporated into the construction of furniture, handicrafts, planting containers or other products that have not been treated, processed or finished to eliminate plant disease pathogens, wood boring pests, and wood inhabiting pests as defined in subsections

Reading that, it looks like even furniture or turned bowls would be subject to the 50 mile limit for transport. Maybe I'm reading that wrong. Hope so. It would mess up my plans for Christmas presents this year.

Do you know more about it?

Ed

 

[hockenbery]

Ed,

I read through the link below. The primary goal seems to require some type of fumigation/ inspection for boarder crossings.
When I was kid. Fla used to really control citrus imports. The big issue in places like florida, Hawaii, and parts of California are that most anything can establish breeding populations. Bugs, trees, reptiles, fish, hogs, birds.......

This is the appropriate rule
https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=8958646&type=1&file=5B-65.005.doc

Al