Something is Eating My Firewood

[Normando]

Several years ago, I built a nice woodshed to store my wood and keep it out of the weather while it dries.  The shed is open on all sides and has good airflow.  After a 1 ½ to 2 years, I bring the wood into the cellar and burn it in our wood stove. 

 

A couple times over this past summer, I chopped some dry wood to have an outdoor fire, but noticed some saw dust (very fine dust) when the bark split off.  I didn't pay much attention to it as I've seen it before.  As the summer progressed, I started to notice every piece had a fair amount of saw dust when the bark split off.  So, I went to the woodshed to listen.  Sure enough, there was a noise coming from the wood.  It is faint, but there is something eating my firewood. 

 

As you can imagine, I not interested in bringing this wood into my cellar and introducing these bugs (whatever they are) to my house.   What should I do?  Burn it outside and consider it a loss?  Spray the wood to kill the bugs?  Its about 6+ cords of dry wood.  Thank you for your help. 

[reride82]

I have not had that issue here in Montana, but maybe add a location to your bio/profile so the bug experts can help narrow down what bugs you may have and the best treatment for your situation.

Levi

[TroyC]

Sounds like powder post beetles.

[thecfarm]

No idea where you live, but any bug outside here in Maine is just about to die!!!   :D

[Normando]

Thank you for replying.  I'm from New Hampshire.  Thanxs for the reminder, I just updated my profile.  

[offrink]

What species is the wood?

[K-Guy]

What moisture content?

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

If you hear the snapping sound from the firewood, then I suspect you are drying pine or spruce and have a beetle that is eating the wood and you hear the snapping of its jaws as they snap shut.  As your house is drier and is also has softwood you need to avoid bring the firewood into the house and storing it for more than an hour or two.

The fine dust you report is technically called frass.  It is typical of several insects that do indeed eat the wood and they can spread into hardwoods  in your house, so avoid bring the firewood into your house unless it goes directly into your stove.  Any holes you see are exit holes, meaning the insect has left the wood and is looking for a mate.

The warming of wood when you bring it into the house results in the insects wanting to leave the wood and breed, etc.  make sure all wood debris is cleaned up in your house, as this is a breeding ground.

[Al_Smith]

I had  a problem with fresh cut and split  hickory which ants just love .I solved that by spraying a mixture of Sevin dust and water on the stuff. Dead ants every where .

[mike_belben]

I never had a big infestation like that in my firewood but when i run the splitter i keep a 5 gallon bucket of old stale gas with the lid off and maybe half full.  When i get ants they get the dunk flip dunk treatment and that piece stays off to the side to dry.