The Forestry Forum

Years ago I started accumulating logs, most of what I kept was dead fall  Burr Oaks from my place, the elm I cut after it died in front of the house, some Green  Ash and Mullberry.  Probably  all of them had bugs to begin with, as they died standing and went down.  I've been sawing a few up making live edge slab boards. I think the funky stains,  colors, bug holes, old carpenter  ants nests and the termite tunnels, will make for a neat rustic wall. May chink between them as in a log look or edge them, will decide later.  They will lay for a while under a roof in an open shed.  I know by sawing and removing the ground contact hence starting the drying, I have rocked their world.  Is soaking slabs with solubor good enough for now, or should I spray  the shed floor (cracked older concrete ) and interior wood to be safe. I'm re/dehoming quit a bunch of bugs at the moment. Just being paranoid.  Any body treat the ground around the mill shed? I'm sure the decaying sawdust is tasty as much as I clean it up I won't get it all,  and a nice dust cyclone system would cost more than my little mill. Can the termites that get knocked off the logs survive with out the rest of the colony my mind says biologically no. Thought I'd run it by the collective brain trust get some opinions.

My understanding is termites do not nest in their food source, the nest is underground near by. They return to the nest or perish. So Once the food source, in this case your logs, is relocated they are doomed. Other bugs are another story. Or stories I reckon.

Talstar is a good termite treatment for ground areas. Pretty friendly stuff. I use the granulated version on some of my areas with wood debris.  

Talstar I will look that up thank you, We carry a Permethrin concentrate that is multi use, it lists a termite /wood storage treatment option on the directions, in fact I have a jug in the basement it's  just I have seen the insect population get more resistant to the Permethrin over the years and just wasn't feeling it.