The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is reminding people about the best ways to use firewood in the coming months.

According to the DNR's Invasive Species Program, October is Firewood Month, and there are several things to be aware of when it comes to burning firewood.

While dead or weakened trees are often used as firewood, they can also be hosts to insects and fungi that remain in the wood even after it's cut. So, dead wood is still alive with what could be harmful insects and diseases.

The DNR said some of those insects are wood borers, which are beetles that lay eggs on or in the tree of bark. When the eggs hatch, the insects tunnel into the wood and feed on it. They seek out weakened trees, but the invasive emerald ash borer and Asian longhorned beetle can infest healthy tr

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