The Forestry Forum

Ive had a lot of fun through my first spring with a sawmill giving some local trees a higher purpose than ending up as firewood- this is one of the bigger boards Ive cut:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/37502/0513161620.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1466656759)

But the bad news is Ive noticed a few of these borer type bugs crawling around on the boards:

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/37502/0530161237a.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1466656612)

I think they came from some old pine that was nearby with real obvious giant bored holes in it. I ordered some timbor and started applying but wondering if these bugs can eat hardwood too? I havent yet visualized any damage from them yet but it has me a little concerned...

Not sure what it is, but it's not a Powder Post beetle. Those are the ones that can eat dry hardwood, and the ones you need to worry about.

You are probably correct that it came from the pine, there are lots of things that will eat that when it's still green, but they die off as the wood dries out.

Fortunately the PBB wont attack green wood, and the bugs that do attack green wood (there are lots of them) don't infest dry wood. Otherwise air drying wood would be pretty much impossible.

You are OK.  That is not the one to worry about.  That one to worry about is the powderpost beetle.  They love oak, so if you are planning to leave the air dried wood outside for a long period of time like in a barn or under a shed, you would be safer if you sprayed the boards with borate.  You won't know that you have them in the wood until the adults start boring out leaving the little piles of sawdust, then it is too late.

This looks like the pine bark beetle.  It takes a long time for,it to\ do damage to the wood and it does not infect hardwoods.  Also, it's jaws are not strong enuf to do damage to dry wood of any species.