Burning questions: how human behaviors and firewood characteristics influence the transport of wood-boring insects

Recreational firewood movement is often reported as an important cause of spreading of new forest pests. However, the drivers of pest transport in firewood are complex and involve social, psychological, and ecological factors. On the one hand, people’s attitude and ecological knowledge can influence the decision to move recreational firewood; on the other, the characteristics of the firewood, such as the moisture content and the age, can affect the number of woodboring insects harbored within. Here, we analyzed the presence of insects in recreational firewood brought into four Mississippi state parks by campers from July to December 2016. We surveyed 170 campers about their knowledge, attitude, and actions concerning forest pests and firewood movement. Campers voluntarily donated firewood samples for wood-boring inspections. Attitude toward the importance of stopping invasive wood-boring insects emerged as the most important factor influencing the decision to bring firewood from home to the campground or purchase it. Despite longstanding educational efforts by state and federal authorities, participants' knowledge of the problem was low, and knowledge of the problem did not change the attitude and actions of campers. We found that 20% of firewood had living insects when split, and we collected almost 500 insects after the rearing period. Firewood cut by campers or purchased from non-commercial sources was more likely to contain insects than commercially sold firewood. Our results underscore the importance of enhancing regulations against bringing untreated firewood to parks while also providing campers with information on nearby firewood sources and/or selling sanitized firewood within the park itself. These management practices could be paired with new awareness campaigns that take into account the importance of people’s attitude.