Shopsmith Forums

cincinnati wrote:Hey! That is kinda a personal question. LOL!!!!
It is Paul269 asking the question.

That's funny! So sorry about my confusion!

Hey Paul - What species of wood are you asking about? Do the holes look like the pictures in that web site?

Hi again Paul - Here is another insect that can be your enemy! http://doyourownpestcontrol.com/powderpostbeetles.htm

It's a long page, you can find some recommended control methods near the bottom of the page. This includes a couple of chemical treatments.

Some years ago I purchased a several hundred board feet of cherry for a 'really' good price. During inspection I noticed some holes but was told that the infestation was long ago. However, after sitting in the garage for a couple of years I pulled down a few boards for a project and there was no doubt that they were still destroying the cherry.

(As an aside, I live in Minnesota and the wood was stored in an unheated garage where winter temps are below freezing 100-130 days a year and sub- zero for 3-4 days at a time. Cold doesn't kill them.)

Anyway at the advice of someone in another forum I used borax. On a hot day in the summer when rain was predicted for days, I mixed it with tap water and used a pump-up garden sprayer to apply. I put ALL the stock on saw horses, sprayed it throughly turning the stock and left it in the sun to dry before starting the next batch. All the stock was rough sawn.

It's been 4 years since I applied the borax. I've been working with the stock regularly for 2 years and I've seen no signs of activity.

If I find a really bad area I simply cut it out like a knot. If there are a couple of holes in the back of a face frame board I put in a couple drops of cyanoacrylate.

Good luck.

Kiln drying kills insects and eggs.

Just heat it up. Insects can't live beyond about 130-140 F. If you could safely heat the wood to 180-200 F and leave it there for a little while so the internal temperature is high enough, it would free of most creature life. Heat it up to about 280 F and it would be just about sterile.

Heat really does sound like a good idea. I don't like recommending chemical insectized or gasses as they are very (very) dangerous. Long term affects on the user are in question, especially if not used to factory specs. So I like the heat idea. I still like alcholol. If Everclear is available in your state, it is ethel alcholol, evaporates without residue, I don't think it will leave a stain, and it will kill bugs. Just another idea from a chemist.

I was out of state for a few days but I appreciate all of the suggestions. After reading the link provided by Charlese, ( http://doyourownpestcontrol.com/powderpostbeetles.htm ) it appears the lumber is infested with powder post beetles.

I have attached a photo of the lumber showing the infestation. I think the easiest solution is to find another piece of lumber.

Cut the wood into sizes that will fit in a Microwave and zap those little buggers!

paul269 wrote:...I have attached a photo of the lumber showing the infestation. I think the easiest solution is to find another piece of lumber.

Paul, it is times like this that make us scratch our heads. We really don't know if the insect in your wood has only one generation in lumber (as mentioned in the reference) or will continue to try and go through more life cycles. In any event, I'd bet that they will only have one generation per year. Rather than discard the lumber, you can (a tedious job) mark all of the holes with an indelible marker - then see if any more holes appear.

If you want to get rid of the little buggers, the best way is to get the boards down to 6% moisture content. Good luck with doing that in Indiana! This year especially. I think the borate solution would work pretty well. A borate solution is not toxic to humans unless you drink it. A borate slurry was the first stuff dropped from fire retardant aircraft, on forest fires. Borate mud was, and may be still, used as a sealant and lubricant (I think) in oil wells. I really don't know the function of borate to kill insects, but guess it's drying and sealant properties make it hard for larvae to live and maybe will dry out some eggs.

I really have no idea of how dried borate would affect wood, except at first the wood would be very wet - some drying time would be necessary. Here's some guesses at other effects; I suppose it would be a lot like a muddy board. Maybe some very small granules - don't think there would be any damage to carbide blades. The surface stuff should wipe/sand right off.

Chuck
We use powder borax to control cockroachs here in Florida. As I understand the process, the borax gets on the cockroach and absorbs the body oils that are on the bug to keep the bug from drying out. Since the Borax absorbs these oils the bug literally dehydrates and dies. I'm told Diatomaceous earth works also. The reason the product is so effective is it doesn't really poison the bug so there is not way to build an immunity, but absorbs the oil plus it is easily carried by one bug and spread to others.

I know the commercial exterminators all use it for roach control. I have no idea how a liquid mix would work. However I do know it will help make the wood less flammable. I think celleous insulation was once treated with a borax mix.
Ed