Zombies seem to be everywhere you look – movies, TV shows, street events. They have taken over pop culture. But a bigger threat is here and now and lurks where you might least expect it. The good news is you don't need special zombie killing bullets to deal with this threat.
The threat – the destruction of our trees and forests
The solution – DON'T MOVE FIREWOOD
This poster deals with the Emerald Ash Borer. Smaller than a penny, this creature is making its way across the state devastating the population of Ash trees. When we first became involved in the campaign, we were still hoping we could stop the pest before it got to Virginia. You may have seen the purple hanging "lanterns" in forests throughout the state (see next picture). These are emerald ash borer traps and they are monitored to see when areas became infested. First most of northern Virginia became quarantined. This meant it became illegal to move firewood into or out of the infected area. Now more areas of the state are being added to the quarantine list.
Emerald Ash Borer Trap
But the Emerald Ash Borer is by far not the only "zombie" we have to worry about. Many may have heard about the gypsy moth. It has been a pest in Virginia for some time. It can be spread over great distances when it lays its eggs on firewood and the wood is then moved to non-infected areas. Other newly introduced pests include the Asian longhorned beetle and Sirex woodwasp. All are wood-infesting species like the Emerald Ash Borer that hide in wood and can infest new areas when wood is moved from one location to another. The American Elm and the American Chestnuts are examples of trees that have been decimated by diseases also transported in firewood. Oakwilt and other diseases can be spread by transporting firewood.