Thermal death kinetics of the Japanese pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus, was investigated to develop a heat treatment method that controls the pest in wood packing materials used in the export of goods. To determine the feasibility of microwave irradiation as an alternative treatment, laboratory experiments were performed on blocks (200x200x250 mm) of Douglas fir artificially infested with live larvae and pupae irradiating the blocks with 2.45 GHz of microwave energy. One hundred percent mortality of larvae and pupae of Japanese pine sawyer was observed by hot water treatment at 64°C and 68°C, respectively. One hundred percent mortality of treated Japanese pine sawyer was achieved above 67°C for larvae and 70°C for pupae based on the measured wood temperature, regardless of the irradiation time.

• Jinseo Kim(School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University)
• Sang Jae Suh(1School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Institute of Plant Medicine, Kyungpook National University) Corresponding author