Hello, I have been looking around for a while now trying find out what bugs infect white oak logs. I got some logs from my brother to mill and saw some bore holes through out portions of one log. I actually sawed one larvae in half while milling. the borer hole appears slightly larger the PPB holes and are not back filled with dust. The logs have been sitting for two years but still have a MC over 20%. I live in MN and wondering what boring insects they are and if I should worry about stickering them near other air dried lumber. Or, will they mature and go away to find other green high moisture wood.
Thanks for response ahead of time.
Little white grub worms right?
Yes, the half that was not cut up by the blade.
See em often but not sure what all they are.
Are they only in green/wet lumber and once it dries they move on to other green wood. My concern is whether to sticker it near my other air dried lumber or just get rid of it. it was only one log and my space is limited.
I just got back from a run to town for more borate, we were about out today. Give it a good soaking and either way you're probably safe.
A little bug killer on the bark of ash takes care of borers. Maybe that would work on white oak. When you saw the log the chemical is gone from the wood. I use Tempo, but malathion works as well. Good to spray logs as soon as you get them home.
I do treat with Solubor before I sticker but not all my wood is treated. I suspect they will leave once the drying processes is under way.
If the logs have been laying around here in Georgia for a few weeks or more before you treat the bark, the ambrosia beetles may already be in the logs and then spraying does no good if you are treating the bark on logs.
Powderpost beetles do not infest your high moisture content logs, only the ambrosia beetles. These cannot live in the wood once the log is sawn, and if they are in the logs before sawing, they leave the wood very soon after sawing.
Lyctid powderpost beetles are the scourge that ruins dry lumber, and they can only infest your wood after it is sawn and mostly fully air dried. If these are what you are worried about, do not waste your time spraying the logs. You must spray your green lumber off the sawmill with DOT (disodium octaborate tetrahydrate) which is 20.5% boron and is safe for humans and animals but deadly on insects.
Ash logs here are usually infected with borers. Don't know if they are the emerald ash borers or not, but a little bug killer on the bark of freshly cut logs seems to get rid of them. I let some logs go, sawed them, found borers in the wood, tried to blow them out with air compressor, stacked and stickered them, and the boards were completely drilled with big holes when I checked them. They were trash.
EAB only go through the bark into the cambium layer and feed on that. They never enter the tree proper, or bore holes in the wood. They also only live/feed on live trees, never dead wood. If you have holes in your limber, it is something else, for sure. Solubor should fix 'em up just fine.