Preservative treatment of ash wood from emerald ash borer (Agritus planipennis) infested trees

Portions of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario have been infested by the emerald ash borer (EAB), an exotic pest believed to have been imported from Asia. The pest is reported to have killed 10 million to 15 million ash trees and continues to spread. Most of southern Michigan is under quarantine, and the movement of ash lumber, firewood, logs, and nursery stock is restricted. The eradication program also involves removing infested, dying, and non-infested trees within and around infestation areas. Logs removed are currently shipped to marshalling yards, chipped, and burned for energy. The present project investigates the preservative treatment of some of ash lumber as an alternative to burning. Results showed that ash sapwood can be treated at retentions suitable for aboveground utilization, and no reduction in mechanical properties was observed.