# Attic temp high enough to kill bugs?



## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

I have 6 elm boards that have nice little sawdust piles coming from them. Will an attic in Texas get hot enough to kill these little buggers? Or will I just be introducing them to my nice tasty pine framing. I am getting ready to finish a small solar kiln. Would I be better off just waiting a few weeks and putting it in there? My first load was going to be finishing the wood I have been air drying over the last 6 months, including this elm.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

jeffreythree said:


> Or will I just be introducing them to my nice tasty pine framing. .


:yes:. The attic is a great kiln for drying wood...the bugs part scares me in this case. I would not suggest bringing it in the house at all, that's just me though.


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## dirtclod (May 7, 2008)

I think the temp inside the wood has to reach ~130F to kill them. This needs to be confirmed. Your attic may get hot enough. But I still have major reservations. Will it hold the heat long enough to penetrate deep enough into the wood to kill all stages of the insect's life cycle?

Get some tempature readings of your attic throughout the day. Someone who operates a kiln can fill in the missing details.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

dirtclod said:


> I think the temp inside the wood has to reach ~130F to kill them. .


I may get corrected, but I thought it was _minimum_ 6 hours (some reading I have done says 24 hours ?) I don't have to deal with PPB's thank goodness. They make products too like Tim-Bor and Bora Care to name a couple.


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## Handyman (Jan 2, 2008)

jeffreythree said:


> I have 6 elm boards that have nice little sawdust piles coming from them. Will an attic in Texas get hot enough to kill these little buggers? Or will I just be introducing them to my nice tasty pine framing. I am getting ready to finish a small solar kiln. Would I be better off just waiting a few weeks and putting it in there? My first load was going to be finishing the wood I have been air drying over the last 6 months, including this elm.


I wouldn't do it. By the time the wood get hot enough to kill a bug, they will have left the wood and found a cooler place to live like the walls or ceiling.


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