ST. IGNACE, Mich. — The emerald ash borer was detected in two new locations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) last month. Early in October, it was found on 13 detection trees in Moran, a town about 15 miles north of St. Ignace. Later, it was found in St. Ignace.

“Firewood is most likely the culprit,” said Jim Bowes, an enforcement officer for the plant and pest management division of the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture (MDA). “It’s in a park where ash that’s been brought in has been confiscated in the past.”

Although it’s legal to move firewood in Michigan, there are restrictions: firewood can’t be moved from a “quarantine one” area to a “quarantine two” area, and it can’t be moved from any quarantine area into a non-quarantine area.

Right now the entire Lower Peninsula is under an ash borer quarantine, with its greater southeastern portion under tighter restrictions than the western and northern sections. The entire UP is still free of any restrictions, with the exceptions of the Brimley area in Chippewa County, where ash borer was discovered last year in a state park, and Mackinac County, where ash borer was just detected.

“We’d like people to not move firewood,” Bowes said. “Firewood is a vehicle to move many insect pests. Really, what we want is for people to buy firewood once they get to an area. A lot of people don’t know the difference between oak and maple and ash.”

Bowes said the Asian long-horned beetle, for example, likes maple trees. Although that beetle isn’t known to be in Michigan, Bowes thinks it’s best not to move any firewood – just in case. This beetle is an invasive wood-boring insect, just like the ash borer. It was discovered in New York City in 1996, and has since spread to Long Island, N.Y. It’s also been found in Chicago suburbs and in New Jersey.

Despite this bit of bad news, scientists are making headway in the fight against the ash borer. A new lure, minuka oil, is now being used to reduce the population of the beetle, as well as to identify its presence in a given area. Scientists are using the oil around giant sticky green posts.

They are also using tiny parasitic wasps experimentally in an area around Flint. These wasps bore into ash borer larvae, grow up and then kill adult ash borers.

“Science is catching up with this pest,” Bowes said. “We’re learning to identify it early in its infestation period.”

Bowes said the ash borer was present in Michigan for up to 10 years before its initial detection in 2002. While science works to get the upper hand on the insect, state officials are just hoping to discourage campers and others who might want to move firewood from doing so.

It’s also a crime to move firewood against regulations. According to the MDA, individuals or businesses found violating the state’s emerald ash borer quarantine are subject to fines ranging from $1,000-$250,000 and jail time of up to five years for moving “regulated ash materials,” including firewood.

In 2003, a Michigan nursery owner pleaded no contest to shipping 123 ash trees out of state.

He was fined $12,300 and sentenced to 200 community service hours helping local communities remove dead ash trees.

The current quarantine areas can be viewed online at www.michigan.gov/mda – just click on the “emerald ash borer” link.