Unusual powder post beetle question

[Daren]

Can I drown them? I have been having a little luck finding burl trees lately, fresh and downed. I recently got a redbud burl that has been down awhile. I showed pictures of one here I got that was big. This tree I am talking about is smaller with smaller burls. I slabbed the outsides off under the burls anchorsealed the cut off chunks and was going to process the burls later. There may be 6-7 small burls a slab, the burls range from  the size of an apple to about a small melon. I was just going to cuts the burls off as individuals. I went to the shed the other day and the powder post beetles had already found it before I did I guess, little piles of evidence on and around the slabs.

Here is my question. Can I cut the burls off like I planned and drop them all in a barrel full of water? I don't want to kiln dry them whole to kill them, and don't want to poison them if I don't have to (I am going to be turning this stuff, I don't like poison). The water will keep the burls fresh until I figure out what to do with them. Will it suffocate the bugs?

[TexasTimbers]

There are so DanG many types of bugs that can leach enough O² out of the nooks and crannys, the trapped bubbles, and out of water itself, but I dunno if PPB are one. I think if you could make barrel and put an air fitting on it, maybe you could pressurize the barrel just enough to force all of the water out of another valve before you closed it off and have like 3 - 5psi. Or of course being a HVAC man you could also brag that vaccum pump and and pull about 29 pounds of mercury in a steel chamber you welded up for the purpose and suck all their O² out of their lungs and boil their blood. ;D

[Daren]

I am figuring it to be a long shot, I can't imagine they need to breath much and do like wet wood. Probably got as good a chance trying to drown them out as just scream at the burls and scare them out. smiley_bouncing . They are really going to town right now though, I wish they would quit. Another crazy idea...the deep freezer? I have an empty one in the shed.

[Riles]

A good hard freeze ought to do the trick. Not sure what the ice formation will do to the wood structure, you might have extra cracking.

[fencerowphil (Phil L.)]

Daren,

Seems like you could use heat - wet heat.

In other words, heat the the burls by heat lamps, etc., but put them under
a tent with wet towels, trays of water, whatever, so that the relative humidity
in your "oven" stays way up there.  That way they don't dry any, they just
get hot enough to kill the little raskels.

You would be attempting to get the core of the pieces up to 130 deg. F. for
a few hours.

Phil L.

[Tom]

I would think that total submersion would do it.  It would probably even kill the eggs eventually.  I wouldn't worry so much about sealing the container as making sure that the wood was submerged.  Maybe put some weight on it.

Keeping it dark might be a good idea.  That would help to stop the growth of algae.   Maybe that would be a good reason to seal it, after a fashion.

Submerging logs in a pond keep the adults from laying eggs on the logs.  Those I've sawed have little sign of active tunneling too.  So, I figure it must kill the larvae.

I agree about not using an insecticide.  You never know how the wood will be used later.   A bowl might end up with food in it.

Another thought is that borax added to the water wouldn't hurt the wood. 

[Corley5]

What about boiling them ???  That oughta do the trick :D ;D

[Daren]

  Maybe put some weight on it.

I currently have them in a 55 gallon drum filled with water. I used some expanded metal (stainless steel mesh) with bricks on top to keep them under. I did that a couple days ago before I asked the question assuming it would not hurt anything until I figured out something better if there was anything. It is in the shade. The water turned black after day one ? Tannic acid ?

[Don P]

Maybe acid and a steel drum? Have you got a plastic one? I've heard that vinegar will get them but don't know first hand. The wooddoc did write one time that deep freezing will do it.

[Dale Hatfield]

I think you could just drowned them with a massive shot of water. Stick a needle down the hole and fill it up.You can buy a very large  barrel and small needle at TSC
Dale

[Daren]

I did drown them. I put the burls in a barrel for a week (?) and then on a pallet to watch them for a week. 2 of the burls showed activity again, I put those 2 back in for another week and now nothing. I have one that was not so good(rotten when I got it) They were working on it, I never put it in the barrel they are still going to town on it.
So, it does work.

[Tom]

Get rid of the infected burl.  You are providing "seed" insects for the good wood if you keep it. 

[Daren]

Get rid of the infected burl.  You are providing "seed" insects for the good wood if you keep it. 

It is isolated right now and has been. I was just keeping it to compare the PPB progress on the ones I was soaking...I have a fire planned here soon, it will be in it.

[Tom]

Heat is sure cure.  :D