Fellow Knotheads,
I have a nice stack of Apple lumber, 4/4, 6/4, 8/4 from a local NJ sawmill that’s now drying in the garage (after seasoning outside).
Apple is my favorite wood, but apparently also that of a bunch of woodboring insects, and tiny sawdust piles tell me they are alive and well. Too well for my taste.
I was thinking of covering the whole pile with a sheet of poly and spraying something nasty in there (less preferred, I do woodworking with my kids in the garage), or build a mini-kiln by taping together sheets of 2″ rigid insulation and cooking the suckers (or borers if you will) using a heater or some such contraption.
Does anyone have any words of wisdom how to get rid of these parasites ?
Thanks
Patrick
Replies
Boric acid powder (borate) gets rid of a lot of pests. If you can identify what type you have, this might work and is safer, I am not claiming it is completely safe, (but read the directions) than a lot of insecticides.
Good luck!
john
Edited 11/26/2009 10:37 am ET by Harrisdog43
Borate won't kill the insects that are already in the wood or the eggs. The sure-fire way is to heat the wood to an internal temp of 130 degrees and hold that temp for at least 4 hours.
Pezzi,
I agree with the heat. Sounds like powder post beetles. Are the holes ~1/16" and the sawdust like baby powder? I hate the suckers (although they get me lots of work on older log homes).
Good luck, remember, ya gotta try and get them ALL.
Bill D.
I use a Klingon disruptor, set to the brain-wave frequency of the bugs. ;-)
Another option might be the microwave generators used for localized termite treatment in homes. A potential down-side is that the microwaves would also heat the internal moisture in the wood, perhaps to a too-high temp.
I have had good luck with killing off infestations by freezing the wood. In the wild the bugs can survive below freezing temperatures but they need several days or weeks to adjust their chemistry into a hibernation mode. If you suddenly freeze the wood in a matter of hours they can't adapt quickly enough and won't survive.
Shop Manager for FWW Magazine, 1998 to 2007
Pez,
In the event you cannot fit the wood in a freezer like John has suggested, you can spray the wood with one of 2 commercially available products designed to kill powder post beetles: Tim-Bor and Bora-Care.
Good luck,
Lee
It's been a while but I rented a fogging mach for a day( can't remember the cost) and used a non-lethal(to warm blooded animals) poison. You'll have to make a plastic envelope to contain the fog.
Thank you all for these great ideas !so I could:- heat the boards and cook the beasts (beetle burger anyone ?)
- freeze them (difficult, we are having a mild fall in NJ and freezer capacity is limited in my household, I don't see lumber successfully competing with my stash (hoard ?)of HaagenDaaz)
- fry them with a microwave
- fumigate them (gotta find ot where to buy the stuff, not sure if the local ACE or BigBox store carry them)
- use StarTrek-approved methods, if the local office of the federation starfleet will lend me some tools. But then it's also only an hour to Manhattan from here and since MIB we know they are all aliens there anyway.I just though of another way - ever seen astronauts explode in the vacuum of space ? I could put some boards in a vacuum bag and listen for the cheerful sound of popping beetles "Pop goes the Beetle" ! I just need to glue up the bags and rig up a pump, which I have been wanting to do anyway. Maybe I should patent this as a green way of killing them critters.Thank you all !Pezzi
Edited 11/28/2009 3:25 pm ET by Pezzi
There is one other way, actually advertised in the papers and sold many years ago before the feds put a stop to it with new laws. You purchase two blocks of wood (quite expensive). Place bug on block A, then mash with block B. Hope this helps.
Or, mount your pin nailer in a rifle stock, don your cami uniform, and shoot the little suckers as they show their little heads. ;-)
My understanding is that fumigation will not kill the eggs.
Powder post beetles: Please be careful that the beetles do not penetrate your house.
I had to tent and treat a two-story colonial in Alexandria, Va in 1982 that cost $5,000. The toxic gas remains for 24 hours and is deadly to any living thing. I believe state laws requires a licensed exterminator and a 24 hour guard posted on the property.
Might call an exterminator and see if there is a house being treated in the area. Put the lumber on a trailer and park it in the house garage for the extermination period. It may cost some money but would be cheap if it prevents your house from infestation.
FYI do not let a home inspector carry an ice pick on the inspection. Few ice pick holes and a little saw dust will prove powder post beetles! Expensive!!
All,I just ordered a pack of BoraSol-PC see http://qualityborate.com/Applications/PestControlApplications/BoraSolPCApplications/tabid/124/Default.aspx and I shall treat the lumber and surrounding wood accordingly ... and also try to "bake" the lumber for a while. Wish me luck !Patrick
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