Ten years after carefully storing the trim wood for our house, we have found evidence of powder post beetles in the clear VG Doug Fir boards. Is there any way to salvage the wood without introducing poison into our house? Will finishing with varnish kill them off? Will any treatment change the finished look of the trim? Do I now have a lot of dry firewood? Thanks. Tim
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Replies
This site might be of interest to you.
http://www.oldhouseweb.net/cgi-bin/frameit/FrameIt.cgi?Url=http://www.oldhouseweb.net/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=1159&Text=Back+To+Your+Search&Title=The+Guide+to+Suppliers&FooterSize=40&FooterLocation=2&FooterFontFace=arial&ShowRemoveFrame=1
PS Click "about wood boring beetles"
Edited 10/16/2002 2:12:57 PM ET by JJSHAW
Tim,
I had an infestation with about 6,000 board feet of red oak, white oak, cherry, and pine that was cut with a wood-mizer and carefully stickered in a barn to dry. This was a somewhat controlled environment with a sound concrete floor.
I checked around and found that the best way to positively eliminate them was to have the lumber fumigated commercially. I talked to the pest control company about draping the stack with plastic and taping it to the concrete floor, but even though this was a barn, and access could be controlled, they couldn't accept the liability for toxins.
I wound up renting a truck, loading all of the lumber, and driving to the pest control yard. I left the truck with them for a week and they fumigated it on the truck.
I believe they use an agricultural insecticide called PHOSTOXIN. This is a pelletized product that off-gases when the container is opened and the product is exposed to air. It has no residue at all.
Unfortunately, my wood was already somewhat damaged by the time I knew I had a problem. Why is it that everybody wants Wormy Chestnut, but nobody wants Wormy Red Oak ?
Fumigation was about $400 and truck rental (box truck) for a week was another $500.
Good luck.
Greg.
You didn't store it as carefully as you'd like to think. Those bugs like a moist place to burrow into.
Borates can do the trick without danger to mammals. Search for Timbor
Excellence is its own reward!
If you know anyone with a small kiln, that is the safest, and cheapest route. you have to get the wood to at least 130 degrees and hold it there for a few hours. Also, if your wood has been stored that long you probably need to remove some moisture anyway, so you can kill two bugs with one stone.
Brad