I need a professional oppinion. A guy came to my shop this weekend and looked at a piece of sugar maple I had recently planed down (Photo attached). I explained the streaks running through the wood were, what I believed, to be streaks from the maple sap running through the tree. He told me that I was incorrect, and that these streaks were spalting and that the holes were from worms.
Ok, I can by the worms thing maybe. However, these holes were in the living tree with no exit wounds to the tree, I know, I milled this piece from the tree. I don’t believe worms live in the tree without having an entrance or an exit hole. Also, I don’t believe worms travel in pairs because each place I find holes, there are two of them side by side. While I can believe these are worm holes, it just doesn’t make sense that they are only in the streaked sections and they are always side by side.
Question 1: What exactly do these holes come from?
As far as the spalting goes, I am under the impression spalting comes from a decaying tree. This tree was perfectly healthy when I cut it down and you can see this streaking in the ends of the tree as well as the stump. Of course, they look more circular when still in the tree form and become elongated when the tree is flatsawn and milled.
Question 2: Is it spalting or maple syrup streaking?
I did some research on the web, but I was unable to find any pictures similar to mine. I just hate not knowing for sure and it’s been bugging me for days now. I need to know. 🙂
Thanks,
Peter
Replies
maple anomalies
As far as I know, those holes are from insects. It's not that they chose to go where the streaks are, but rather the streaks appear as a result of the tree's reaction to the insects.
Correct, Ambrosia
Hello Ray,
You are right on the money with this. Others are just boreing into the wrong tree!
Thanks Bob,
For the vote of confidence. I'm gonna take your message, and a couple dollars down to the local diner in the am and see if it gets me a cuppa!
Cheers,
Ray
"Hot-cha-cha-cha- cha, I gotta million of 'em" Jimmy Durante
Thanks folks for all your help. After doing the research on the Ambrosia Maple, it appears that's what I have. And to oldusty, the beetle does not infect dried lumber, which is a good thing because I have a boat load of it in my basement. I also have a kitchen table top made from this material and I have not seen any new activity in the table, but of course that wood is sealed.
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