Bark Beetle
Invasive pests sometimes hitch a ride to Big Bear on firewood imported from outside the area. The damaging critters hop off of the wood in the Big Bear woodpile, and find local trees where they take up residence. The local trees may not have any natural defense to these foreign invaders, and the trees quickly become infested with the outsiders. In a letter dated January 28, 2013, the Forest Service cautions against bringing in firewood that originated somewhere other than in Big Bear. Please do you best to utilize locally grown firewood, in order to avoid introducing any unwanted outsiders.