The Forestry Forum

I had cut and split a bunch of Honey Locust in the spring after girdling it the previous fall.  It was all stacked on pallets over a tarp in an open area over by the big barn where it could get some sun to dry it out.  This fall when I wanted to move it to the woodshed over by the house, there was so much dust in it all the voids were filled with sawdust.

The first two pictures are the bugs that come out of the wood when I bring it in to burn.  I'm thinking they are locust borers, but all the literature I have read says they only infest Black Locust.

I'm pretty sure the wood is all Honey Locust, but I'm no expert.  Large multi-tipped thorns and relatively smooth peely / flaky bark compared to Black Locust's deep rough bark.  Or do I have this all wrong?

Is there any danger of these bugs causing a problem in the basement of the house?  It seems there is nothing for them feed on and they seem to die pretty soon after they emerge.  Even if they have time to mate and lay eggs would they attack the pine wood of the house?  I have seen a couple flying at the light by the wood stove, but mostly I just find them dead on the floor by the wood stove.  I don't think there are more than 1 or 2 out and moving at any one time and I am down there checking the fire every 4-6 hours or so.  

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48156/Beetle1.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1545489637)
 


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48156/Beetle2.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1545489740)
 


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48156/Locust_splits1.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1545490410)
 


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48156/Borer_holes.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1545490481)
 


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48156/Locust_bark.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1545490580)
 

The bottom line is:  Do I have a problem here to be dealt with or is it a non issue of some dying bugs crawling out of the wood and doing no harm to the house?  

If these are Locust Borers and this is Honey Locust, what am I missing since all the literature says that isn't supposed to happen.  Is this unusual or am I identifying one of these incorrectly.  Did the stress of girling the trees allow them to be infested to a larger extent than if I would have not girdled them?

Thanks for any info you can share with me on this.  Sorry that these are the best quality pictures I can take.  

 :P

Wikipedia says what you have is a locust borer, and your bark doesn't doesn't look like the black locust I'm familiar with. That's all I've got.

I just found some info that says they may also be Painted Hickory Borers that attack several species and look very much the same.  Should be no real problem per this:

Firewood Beetles Flare-Up | BYGL (https://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/node/685)

Whew, for a bit there I had visions of a 1950's horror movie caused by nuclear fallout... LOL

:snowball:   spidey-smiley   franken-smiley

Looks like you found your beetle and your firewood is Honey Locust. 

I wood have to agree with MM. definitely looks like honey locust to me too. 
MAF 143, that was a informative identification link you posted. Thanks for sharing it.