The thermal death kinetics of the Black timber bark beetle, Xylosandrus germanus, was investigated to develop a heat treatment for control of infested wood packing materials used to export goods. To determine the feasibility of microwave irradiation as an alternative control method, laboratory experiments irradiating wooden blocks of Douglas fir (200×200×250mm), which were artificially infested with adults, with 2.45 GHz of microwave energy. All (100%) Ambrosia beetle adults were killed by both hot water treatments and microwave irradiation at 52˚C and 58˚C, respectively. Probit analyses estimated the internal wood temperature required to produce Probit (0.99) efficacy to be 64.7˚C (95% CI 62.4-69.9˚C) at one minute after microwave treatment.

Thermal death kinetics was examined to develop a heat treatment method to control the Alnus ambrosia beetle, Xylosandrus germanus, in wood packing materials for export goods. To determine the feasibility of microwave irradiation as an alternative treatment, we performed laboratory experiments on the blocks (200x200x250mm) of Douglas-fir artificially infested with live adults with subsequent 2.45GHz microwave energy irradiation. The 100% mortality of treated Alnus Ambrosia Beetle was achieved above 58℃ of the measured wood temperature, regardless of irradiated time. All measurement points in the blocks reached 58℃ within 84-312 seconds with microwave irradiation by wood weight. Likewise, the 100% mortality of breetles were observed by hot water treatment on 52℃. We need further experimental verification, but commercial microwave (2.45GHz) treatment is a feasible alternative to conventional heat treatment to control Alnus ambrosia beetle on the wood packing materials for export goods.