Emerald ash borers have been found in more North Carolina counties, prompting Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler to place the entire state under quarantine. 

North Carolina is the 15th state to issue a statewide quarantine for emerald ash borer. Adjacent Virginia also has a quarantine in effect, and the insect has been found in Tennessee.

Generally speaking, the quarantine allows hardwood firewood and plant parts to move within the state, but movement to non-quarantined areas outside North Carolina is prohibited unless the firewood has been treated, certified and labeled in accordance with federal regulations.

However, individual land management agencies may have more restrictive regulations. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, for instance, all firewood originating from outside park borders must be heat treated. 

The emerald ash borer lays its eggs underneath the bark of ash trees, where the larvae then hatch and create tunnels in the living part of the tree before emerging as adults. Affected ash trees display a loss of leaves, increased woodpecker activity and clumps of shoots emerging from their trunks. The beetles have caused the decline and death of tens of millions of trees across the country since arriving.