Tree-killing insects and diseases can hitchhike in firewood, moving much farther with you in a single weekend than they could in years on their own.
Once in a new location, these invasive pests can start new infestations that destroy forests, decrease property values, and become costly to manage.
Missouri has a statewide firewood quarantine that restricts the movement of hardwood firewood out of Missouri.
Firewood is free to move within the state, but officials strongly recommend not moving firewood more than 50 miles from where it was harvested to reduce the risk of spreading invasive pests.
Even if your firewood appears to be free of pests, don’t move it more than 50 miles.
Many invasive pests, including emerald ash borer, develop under the bark and are easily moved in firewood. Tiny insect eggs or microscopic fungal spores may be attached to bark cracks and crevices.
