KITTERY — A second out-of-state firewood exchange is scheduled for this week to spread awareness about invasive insects that could threaten the state’s forests.

Maine Forest Service rangers and entomologists will set up an educational kiosk and exchange station at the Maine Turnpike northbound Kittery rest station. The exchange station will run from Thursday through Saturday.

Travelers will receive Maine firewood in return for their out-of-state firewood, which is banned in Maine. The Maine Forest Service is particularly concerned about the Asian longhorned beetle and emerald ash borer, which have caused problems in nearby states but have not been seen in Maine.

A similar exchange that took place last month resulted in the exchange of more than 2,000 pieces of firewood.  No invasive exotic pests were found in the seized wood although one piece of hardwood showed signs of insect tunneling and some ash firewood had bore holes. Samples of seized firewood were taken to a hatching laboratory run by the New Hampshire Division of Forest and Lands, the Maine Forest Service entomology lab and the Gray district headquarters. 

All the collected out-of-state wood, aside from the samples, was destroyed by burning, according to Jeanne Curran, spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Conservation.