This observation was made in an area that had been impacted by fire and subsequently was being logged by a local forestry company. There was evidence that a large quantity of the processed logs had been not only affected by fire but by insect attack. There was black stain and boreholes toward the pith of the logs. The insect was able to be recovered from the log for identification. Remaining stems or dead or dying trees would be prone to attack from the secondary borers, specifically in near by areas that were also affected by fire.
Wood Borers are known to be attracted to stressed, dying or dead trees. It has been shown those trees under stress release chemical compounds such as ethanol and various monoterpenes and is an attractant for wood borers (Costello et al 2008). Wood borers are thus secondary pests. These insect pests that spend part of their adult or larval life stage feeding inside roots and branches, or tunneling beneath the bark and feed in the phloem and xylem tissues of trees (Costello 2011). Wood borers can mine deep into the heartwood of the tree and moderate to heavy infestation can cause death of the tree if it was not already dead (Costello 2011).
There is a short window of opportunity for salvage logging after a fire before wood borers successfully colonize fire damaged trees (Costello 2011). Wood that has been attacked from wood borers is not rendered unusable but it does return a lower product grade (Lowell et al. 2010). Lower product grade is due to the wood borer holes, fungi stains and type of decay (Lowell et al. 2010). In the year following a fire, stain is the most important form of fungus-caused deterioration.
Once decay fungi are established and under the right conditions, fungi will continue to deteriorate the wood even after the tree is cut (Lowell et al. 2010). Decay decreases the mechanical properties of wood as it destroys the cell walls thus making it unsuitable for structural lumber (Lowell et al. 2010). Due to the impact on wood value, the time of harvest is important when dealing with wood borers to retrieve best possible value from the wood.
Insects can affect forest health in a negative way such that they can reduce a forests value. Insects can impact a forest through radial and height growth loss, volume loss, dieback and deformity (Natural Resources Canada 2016). Insects can also damage and kill individual and entire forests. This can contribute to displacement of existing tree species. Dying trees create an accumulation of forest fuel and in turn make stands more susceptible to wildfire (Natural Resources Canada 2016). It is important to handle localized insect infestations to mitigate the chances of spread and outbreak in other areas.
The best method in controlling wood boring insects is prevention and it is important to use protective measures at every stage of lumber processing and handling including lumber mills, plywood mills, and lumberyards (Lewis, V. R. n.d). Sanitation is the best preventative measure (Lewis, V. R. n.d) and there should be proper hauling procedures followed during the life cycle stages of the insect, ie. not hauling during flight period. Fire and Insects have and intricate relationship that may require more research with respect to the changing climate.
References:
Costello, S., et al. (2011). Wood-boring insect abundance in fire-injured ponderosa pine. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_other/rmrs_2011_costello_s001.pdf
Lewis , V.R. (n.d). Wood-Boring Beetles in Homes. Retrieved June 1, 2019 from http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7418.html
Lowell,E. et al (2010). Effects of Fire, Insects and Pathogen Damage on Wood Quality of Dead and Dying Western Conifers. Retrieved from https://books.google.ca/books?id=atNf5xl0y5cC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Natural Resources Canada (2016). Why forests need fires, insects and diseases. Retrieved June 1, 2019 from https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/forest-need/13081
Observations From Members 
Longhorn beetle