The Asian longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer are just two non-native insects that have invaded Canadian forests (including urban woodlands) and that are thought to have arrived in wood packaging from other countries. Raw wood packaging, such as untreated pallets and crates, is an ideal haven for such insects, which survive in the wood and then establish themselves in their new home territories.
The movement of exotic pests is hardly a one-way voyage. North American insects, like the red turpentine beetle, have made their way to other regions via materials manufactured from infested wood. Many invasive alien species have been introduced into other parts of the world in this way.
Recognizing that the spread of exotic pests can pose a serious threat, the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) developed ISPM 15, a global standard for how to treat wood packaging to ensure it’s at low risk of harbouring pests. The standard, adopted in 2002 and revised in 2009, allows for two treatments: heat or fumigation using methyl bromide... Read more
