Powder Post Beetle and Fire Wood

[tim1234]

Not sure if this is the right section for this post since it involves wood and bugs.

Man,  I just got finished bucking and stacking about a real Chord and a half of firewood from behind my neighbors house.  All of it dead fall.  About half Ash and half Maple.

I split a bunch of the maple on Wednesday night to make it easier to carry it out of the woods.   When I went to get a load yestereday, I noticed all those neat piles of fine sawdust all through the stack.  It's sitting in the back of my truck until I decide what to do with it.

Now my question.  Should I just throw this stuff far into the woods or can I still use it for firewood without worrying about a full BORE invasion.  I'm affraid to stack in next to my garage with my other firewood.  I don't want it in my other fire wood, my garage, my house or my 2000 bd ft of white oak in the garage.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Tim

[tim1234]

I found some info on the beetles.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2090.html

I just says to destroy the wood by burning, but I'm afraid to bring the stuff in the house to use in the woodburner.  I'm afraid the suckers will become active when they are brought inside even for a short time.

For the time being, I may stack it way away from the house. In the worst case I'll burn it in the chimnea outside this fall.

[tim1234]

guess I should check the archives first.  I found the same link posted by Corley5 a year or so back.  Looks like I should ditch the wood unless someone has some ideas.

Tim

[bitternut]

I get those beetles in my ash firewood every year. I chuck every hunk of it into my stove all winter long. I have stacks of lumber nearby and have never had any problem with the beetles getting into it. Course my lumber has no bark on it and is already air dried so I think that is why there are no beetles. They only seem to be interested in the ash.

[Phorester]

You should be okay if you store the firewood away from anything you don't want the beetles to get in, like your house, other firewood, lumber stacks, etc.

Don't bring it in until you are ready to put it right into the stove.

[tim1234]

Thanks Bitternut/Phorester

I think I tracked it down to one particular dead log from the woods.  It comes to about a wheel barrow full.  I've got it stacked away from my other wood for the moment. 

If the beetles are flying insects (looks like it from the pictures), wont those suckers fly  to any dead wood in the area and infect that too? 

Tim

[Ron Scott]

As phorester said. You should be ok as long as you don't bring the wood into your warm house, garage, etc. for storage. Leave it outside and give it priority to use first and go directly into the fire. Also keep ithe wood under cover with a tarp or whatever until you are ready to use it.

[tim1234]

I'm going to resurect this one instead of starting a new one.

I cut up a blown down maple from my neighbors house, split and stacked this spring.  It's now got powder post beetle all through it already.  I know from the previous posts the beetles will go dormant this winter if I don't store the wood inside.

Can I treat the wood with anything now to kill the beetle?  Is there anything that is non-toxic to humans so in case the kids get into it it won't harm them.  I was considering spraying the wood with something, but I don't know if it would do anything.

I know the final treatment is effective.  When I throw it into the stove ;)  Just looking for something before then.

Tim

[Tom]

tim,
insecticides might kill the adults that emerge, but the only way of cleaning up the wood from eggs is to heat it.  One hundred and thirty degrees, measured in the center of the wood, for thirty minutes is the only way I know.  Even though you heat treat it, it can be reinfected.

[tim1234]

Tom,

Thanks, I was afraid of that.  Like I said there will be at least 1 time the wood will get heated to about 600°F.  When it gets burned. ;)

Will the beetles infect the White Oak I have next to the Maple or are the beetles picky about the type of wood they eat.

tim

[Tom]

this is an instance when segregation is agreed to by the majority and minority alike.   Get the bugs away from anything that you cherish.

[routestep]

I've heard/read that there are two types of powder post beetles, those that live off of hardwood and those that live off softwood. They stick with their preferred wood.

I'm working on a timberframe for my brother and the wood - white and red oak beams has the beetles. We sprayed most of the wood with Timbor, but have decided to bag the wood and gas it when all the pieces are cut and stacked just before assembly and raising. We'll find someone who does that type of work. There's a chance we will spray them again too.

[Justin L]

Is there a chance you could have beams heat treated before installing? A lumber co or pallet shop that does heat treating may be able to do it. With lumber sales being down, some places may have extra kiln space.

[John Mc]

Any idea of what the home range of the powder post beetle is, or are they pretty much everywhere?

[Tom]

pretty much everywhere. 

[LeeB]

Where do you live tim?  Right now it might get hot enough to wrap it in black plastic out in the sun to kil them. Sorta poorboy solar kiln.

[Larry]

From my limited observations the eggs hatch in the May to July time frame, larve does there thing emerging, and than the female re-infests the wood.  I don't know what triggers there biological clock....does heat cause the eggs to hatch?  I always store my firewood outside away from any buildings...and a long ways from any stickered lumber just to prevent problems.  October/November comes I'll move a cord or so close to the house than carry in a day's supply.  Never had a bug problems...and I know sometimes the firewood is full of beatles.

[tim1234]

Where do you live tim?  Right now it might get hot enough to wrap it in black plastic out in the sun to kil them. Sorta poorboy solar kiln.

I live in south eastern Michigan.  We have a pretty wooded lot, even though we are in the city.  It's hard enough to get grass to grow so I don't think I could get enough sun to heat the wood.  Good thought though.  wood probably work in Texas!!

Tim