Applications of heat: Asian Longhorn Beetle
by Tommy Underhill
December 7, 2018
As I review the developmental history of the GreenTech Heat insect eradication technology, I’d like to share an application of heat against another pest: the Asian longhorn beetle.
Often transported along with reused pallets, the Asian longhorns beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) is a voracious threat to urban trees, oak woodlands, and hardwood forests. The insect is native to eastern China, Japan, and Korea.
To combat the Asian beetle, ash borer, and other wood-boring pests, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) formulated regulations beginning in March of 2002. The group decided that all solid wood packaging must be heat-treated or fumigated before they can be imported into any of IPPC’s 182 member countries. This new regulation was called ISPM 15. (ISPM stands for International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures.)
As of September, 2005, anyone importing wooden pallets or crates into the United States from China must certify the wood as pest-free. Import rules require fumigation with methyl bromide or treatment with heat. Methyl bromide is a highly-toxic, ozone-destroying chemical that has been banned in American agriculture since 2004. In the heat treatment process, wood pallets are placed in a special chamber and then heated until the wood’s core temperature reaches 132.8°F. This temperature must be maintained for at least 30 minutes to comply with ISPM 15.
We developed the GreenTech Heat technology to be efficacious against all forms of insect pests. Give us a call. We are ready to help or consult with any unique applications.