This summer was expected to break travel records, and it wasn’t just people doing all the sightseeing. At least one insect joined in on the vacation fun this year: the emerald ash borer. The emerald ash borer popped up in new areas across the state this year, found for the first time in eight additional […]
On Sept. 17, 30,000 visitors swarmed BugFest, an annual event at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. While many are adventurous and take a bite out of dishes with six-legged ingredients, the N.C. Forest Service and Plant Industry Division encouraged festival-goers not to take risks when it comes to firewood. You see, firewood […]
Sweet summertime, fireflies, campfires and roasted marshmallows. They just go together. School will be out soon and camping will commence. When making your checklist for items to bring on your camping trip, there’s one that should be left off the list if you’re traveling farther than 50 miles from home: firewood! That’s right, leave that wood […]
Laurel wilt is a devastating non-native disease of redbay trees and other plants in the laurel family in the southeastern U.S. Native to Southeast Asia, it was first detected near Savannah, Ga., in the early 2000s and has since spread to eight additional Southern states. It has already killed an estimated half a billion trees […]
Gloves, hats, and scarves have finally emerged after a mild start to our winter. Keeping a home warm is no easy feat, and furnaces and fireplaces are being used with more regularity now that colder temperatures are upon us. With the use of firewood increasing each winter, users are again encouraged to keep firewood local […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Even though recent warm weather would indicate otherwise, it is firewood season in North Carolina. As winter approaches, it’s important to consider buying local firewood because it helps to prevent the spread of three major invasive insect species that have […]
In 2013, N.C. ash trees met their match, the emerald ash borer, for the very first time. At least, that’s when we first knew about it. In reality, the invasive wood-borer had likely already been here, killing ash trees for several years before it was detected. Since the first finding in the state, known emerald […]
The emerald ash borer is on the move once again, and this time it has made quite a leap. Last month, the tree-killing, invasive insect was detected for the first time in Wayne County, 73 miles from the nearest known infestation in Vance County. An observant staff member at the Cherry Research Farm in Goldsboro […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” When you hear the phrase “Buy local,” it typically refers to food. But folks should be looking for another local product as we get into winter: firewood. The NCDA&CS encourages people to buy firewood locally because […]
Ahhh … in case going outside into the sauna-like heat hasn’t reminded you, summer has officially arrived! Kids are out of school, meaning it’s a time to go to the pool, a time to relax and, for some families, a time to take a family vacation. Many families may opt to explore the great outdoors […]
You may have seen them hanging in trees along the side of the road: large, purple, sticky prisms. Based on appearance alone, you can probably think of more attractive things to hang in trees. But for the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that has already killed countless ash trees in the U.S., there could […]
With the cold winter months comes the comforting crackle and warmth of a fire in the fireplace. We’re also just around the corner from camping season, with campfires and s’mores to complete the experience. It’s tempting to try to save some money by hauling your own wood. But before you transport firewood, it’s important to […]