Insect Pests In Wood Packaging Materials

In Europe softwood is usually used for packaging materials. Wood is an ideal material for boxes whose size is adapted to large machine parts that are to be shipped by sea. But it can be infested by wood destroying quarantine species. To exclude infestation by green wood feeding insects, the wood must be treated with heat (HT) according to ISPM 15 after trimming and before use as a wood packaging material. Evidence of infestation killed by HT treatment are tolerated in the ISPM 15 regulations. Nonetheless container freights without live infestation in the feeding tunnels or with dead larvae which are dehydrated due to the HT treatment are frequently sent back with the comment of evidence of live infestation. In various studies of containers that were returned due to evidence of infestation by wood wasp larvae, ambrosia beetles or various longhorn beetles the history of the infestation was assessed. Feeding tunnels of the larvae were dissected, and exuviae and dehydrated larvae were examined if present,. Advice is given to the quality of the wood that should be used as wood packaging material.