Replies

1. 
   mapleman | Dec 18, 2006 11:31pm | #1

   Bruce,

   Kiln drying is the best treatment for beetles. The high heat in the kiln kills the larvae and prevents them from hatching in the first place. Other than that, I have used a product called Tim-Bor, which is a concentrated boric acid product, mixed with water and sprayed on the surface. If you spray anything on the lumber while rough, planing it down will diminish the effectiveness, as it will only penetrate so deep into the wood. These products rely on the bug chewing it's way to the surface, and in the process ingesting some of the boric acid and dying. Results are spotty at best usually. Removing the bark would be recommended, but not always 100% effective.

   Good Luck

   Lee

1. 
   bruce22 | Dec 19, 2006 02:45pm | #2

   I'm trying to locate a kiln that's close enough to me. I've got about 700bf of cherry and maple to deal with. The wood is from our property so the only outlay so far was about .50 a bf for a local guy to come with his portable mill.  Oh, and the cost to take down a few trees, and the diesel for the tractor to move all the firewood around, and the rental on a big enough chain saw to cut up the 3' maple. This romantic idea of using our own trees for lumber is becoming not so romantic, and not so cheap.

1. 
   mapleman | Dec 19, 2006 06:27pm | #4

   Hi Bruce,

   The kiln drying shouldn't be too expensive, maybe another $.25 a b/f. You will have to bring it and pick it up, but sounds like you have some nice stuff and plenty of it. When you get it out of the kiln, it will have all been worthwhile.

   Good Luck,

   Lee

1. 
   bruce22 | Dec 20, 2006 03:46am | #5

   Thanks for the input , I met with an exterminator today to discuss treatment of the pile.  He talked about Tim-bor and Bora Care, but this stuff isn't cheap.  I think you've given me the push to go for kiln drying. I just need to get on the phone and talk to some people, here in western Mass. you have to dig around a little to find what you need.

2. 
   ring | Dec 19, 2006 03:53pm | #3

   The industrial no-holds barred treatment is methyl bromide gas. It needs to be done by a professional. It's effective, but extremely dangerous stuff. I don't know what you'll pay where you are, but I've had it done on several occasions on stacks that size for around $100 a treatment.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

1. 
   bruce22 | Dec 20, 2006 03:58am | #6

   Thanks for the info David, I will keep it in mind. I think the kiln drying will be a little more accessible in my area. There are a few small mills in the county , someone should have knowledge of a kiln.

   Just to let anyone in the Berkshires or NW CT  know, the guy who sawed my logs is on the MA-CT border. He has a very nice portable Timber King band saw mill and is quite reasonable. He can saw up to 32or 34" x15' or so. 

3. 
   Diz | Dec 20, 2006 05:11am | #7

   If you go the kiln drying route be aware that it is a one time treatment for what's in the lumber now.  When it goes back into storage, it is again prime beetle food.  Sanitation and surface treatments may be needed to prevent reinfestation.

1. 
   mapleman | Dec 20, 2006 08:34am | #8

    

   Provided bruce doesn't have any infestation in his shop now, and the wood is kiln dried before being brought into the shop, that should eliminate his problem. The only way for the kiln dried lumber to be at risk again is if infested lumber is introduced into his shop at a later date.

   Some excerpts from the web:

   • A coating of shellac, varnish, wax or paint may prevent an infestation, as Lyctus beetles and Anobiids are unable to oviposit if the pores in the wood are filled. Filling in already existing shotholes can help prevent a reinfestation, if holes are continually filled as new adults emerge.

   •  Powder post beetles cannot survive in dry wood. Often the long-term solution to a powder post beetle problem is to reduce the moisture level of the wood by reducing humidity. This may involve installing a concrete floor in an old basement and/or installing a dehumidifier.

   The following points should aid in discouraging powderpost beetle infestations:

   1. The first thing to do is reduce the moisture content, to a proper ventilation to less than 20%.Moisture meters can be used to determine the moisture level in the wood. Central heat,vapor barriers and good ventilation can help control moisture. Rough-cut lumber should be kiln-dried to kill all stages of the beetle. Reducing moisture however ,may not be enough to completely control powder post beetle infestations.

   2. Un infested wood which is sanded and varnished will not normally be attacked by the adult beetles because they cannot find crevices in the wood surface into which they would deposit their eggs.

   3. Items of value should not be stored in out buildings such as barns and sheds. These buildings are often infested with wood-boring beetles.

   4. Infested furniture can be fumigated in a fumigation chamber. Only pest control operators licensed to do fumigations are permitted to purchase and use these materials.

   5. Surface sprays containing borates will prevent newly hatched larvae from entering the wood. However, this technique is not effective on wood which has been varnished, waxed or otherwise sealed from attack by moisture.

   6. If practical ,remove infested wood. If not,use residual borate insecticides.

    

   Recommended products are two borate insecticides:

   TIMBOR is a powder that mixes with water. One lb.is mixed with one gallon of water and sprayed to the surface area of in infestation. When sprayed it penetrates the entire wood, where it will remain for several years .An alternative to Timbor is:

   BORACARE. Boracare is a liquid borate that penetrates faster initially than the Timbor for first few hours but is equal after that..Timbor is considerably cheaper per gallon use.

   7. Fumigation may be advisable in cases of severe powder-post beetle damage, especially where other methods have failed or where rapid elimination of the insects is desired. Fumigating is advantageous where it is hard to apply borate treatments such as cramped crawlspaces. Fumigation must be done by a certified pest control operator. Fumigation is non residual and will not last. Because of this, fumigation will not prevent future reinfestation if the wood is exposed to adult powder post beetles looking to lay their eggs.

    

2. 
   bruce22 | Dec 21, 2006 03:57am | #9

   I found a dry kiln about 1.25 hr away, in Greenfield, MA. They charge .45 bf, so I think I'll cull out the borderline stuff and rip off a lot of the live edges and minimize what gets dried. After drying, it will be stored in the new heated workshop. This batch of wood should last a good long time.

   That's a lot of good info, mapleman. I've read a bit about air drying vs. kiln drying, but nobody mentioned much about the risk of bugs and beetles when air drying.  Thanks again.

4. 
   KelsoChris | Dec 21, 2006 09:21am | #10

   Bruce

   If you just had the lumber cut you really should wait a couple of months before drying it at a kiln.  The first tree I had cut was a soft maple and I took it right to the kiln to be dried and man was I dissapointed.  The nice even boards I sent came back warped cupped and twisted ( and yes I got my stuff as I marked and numbered each board ).  The general consensus seems to be to let it air dry at least a couple of months outside before taking to the kiln.  In the meantime you might want to try spraying the stock with a solution of Borax laundry detergent  and water.