# worm problem! Now what???



## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Get guys I need help! I realized yesterday eve that the 350 bft of spalter red oak sitting in my shop has worms/grubs actively eating on it!!! 

I bought it off CL couple weeks ago, guy had it under cover but outside stacked and stickered for 5 yrs since cutting it. I asume most of the damage has been done over that time but a lot of boards have worm holes packed with dust like substance. One lil fella came crawling out on to my planer bed yesterday... I guess the noise and vibration was unpleasent, lol.

So now what??? He looked like a grub, white in color bout 1/4 x 1" in size... Bout the size of all the holes. I'm thinking maybe tenting a large area around it with vsquene and fog/bombing it???

Any help would be BIG HELP. I've never had to deal with this before 

~tom


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

It needs to get hot in a kiln to kill them. Pesticides will only kill a few and maybe keep it from from getting reinfested after these turn into adult beetles and exit. If you can, take a pick of the offending critter. Probably powder post beetles since that should be dry wood now, but you never know.


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## Ibangwood (Feb 25, 2010)

The only thing I can think of to do
Is a). Spray the boards or kiln dry it at 150 for 5 hours


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Here are a couple links to ID the bugs

http://www.upcrc.com/guides/wdamage/dwood.htm
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/insectid/wood-attk.php

If they are powder post beetle larvae (sounds like it)...you gotta do something. Since they are eating dry wood...they can/will move over to the rest of your stash (or the framing of your shop/house) Kiln dry/heat treat it like was mentioned is the best option. They make products like Timbor and Bora-Care to treat the wood as a second option...or a bonfire, sucks I know but eating wood is what they do--they don't care what wood and they will most likely not stay content where they are.



.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

This is the dead and a lil dried up offender.

I don't have a kiln... Should I go with spray then?


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Powder post beetle pictures 










I personally don't like working with wood that has been "poisoned", sawing/planing/sanding...you are going to eat some. The products I mentioned are more for treating existing structures that have been infested, not woodworking lumber IMO.

Kiln or bonfire.

If you can't find a local guy with a kiln (look for sawmills in your area) you could build a solar kiln. To be honest some guys with kilns are not going to want your buggy wood anywhere near their good wood, I wouldn't. Free solar kiln plans. I tell how to kill bugs in my kiln plans, but it still involves building a kiln.

Not to add insult to injury, or directed at you...but this is an important lesson for EVERYONE looking for these ''great lumber deals'' on craigslist...If you don't look very carefully at what you drag home, you may be dragging home way more than you bargained for. :yes:

Look any lumber from an unknown source over very well for sign of bugs. PPB's should be easy to spot in a stack of lumber by their frass (poop) There will be little piles of fine sawdust on the boards, in the stacks. 


.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Not sure what I'm gonna do yet


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

This may be a dumb question...

But if I eye ball each piece of wood as I un stack it, it should be obvious if a stick has worms, right? I mean, no hole in ~ no worm right???


...it's just such gorgeous wood!!!


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