What is eating my wood?

[CTburning]

I have what I am 99% certain is White Oak. The tree was healthy when I cut it down a couple of years ago. I cut it because I wanted the wood but more because I wanted to utiltize the space. A beautiful 20"+ at the base White Oak. After seasoning for 19 months or so I started burning the wood this fall and something is boring holes in it. I have some kind of maple in the back yard that was hollowed out with the center completely rotted out but the tree was still standing. The oaks and I still have some really big ones 36" (Red Oaks) and White Oaks are doing well and show no form of infestation. I'm worried that it may be termites or something and that wouldn't be good as I have a wooden shed close by. The heartwood looks untouched, it's actually beautiful wood and you could imagine it being used to make flooring. The insects are drilling holes through the bark and into the sapwood but not very deep. Maybe a half inch. Any ideas? Also they leave dust behind.

 

[gzecc]

Probably powder post beatles.

 

[CTburning]

Powder post beatles. I have never seen this before and they only seem to be attacking the White Oak. I have 4 cords of Red Oak bucked up and another 4 split and stacked and I have never seen this before. I should mention this is the first year burning White Oak. The last 4 years I have burned Red Oak. I was worried that it may be ants and that could post a threat to my tool shed and even my house.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I don't think this is powder post beetles because there is no dust there by the holes. I doubt that it is anything to be concerned with though.

 

[gzecc]

I don't think this is powder post beetles because there is no dust there by the holes. I doubt that it is anything to be concerned with though.

Beetles are long gone.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Beetles are indeed gone, but if they were powder post beetles, they would have left a lot of very fine sawdust.

 

[wooddope]

Well, I don't know whats eating your wood but it sure sounds just like my problem. The sawdust they leave behind is a very fine powder and the holes in your bark look exactly like mine.I brought a few wheel barrows full into the basement a week ago and last night while I was down there admiring my stack I could hear a crunching/creaking type sound coming from some of the splits.As I dismantled the pile and inspected each piece, only the oak had holes in them, the red maple was untouched.I split some bark off and found a small white grub with a dark head in the wood.I intend to burn them all!!

 

[ecocavalier02]

pretty positve there the white grubs your talkin about. kid like inch warms they look like. i get them to in my oak. nothing to worry about. maybe its a ct thing.

 

[kenny chaos]

There's close to a thousand different wood borers. The most well known today is the Emerald Ash borer.
They are all related and not much you can do except PANIC, or not.

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Yup, there are ton of varieties of wood - boring beetles, and ALL of their larvae look almost exactly alike.....unless your some loony , larvae/worm freak ,or sumptin. :ahhh:

 

[Mrs. Krabappel]

Beetles are indeed gone, but if they were powder post beetles, they would have left a lot of very fine sawdust.

Thanks. Now I know what likes to snack on my cabin logs.

 

[CTburning]

Well, I don't know whats eating your wood but it sure sounds just like my problem. The sawdust they leave behind is a very fine powder and the holes in your bark look exactly like mine.I brought a few wheel barrows full into the basement a week ago and last night while I was down there admiring my stack I could hear a crunching/creaking type sound coming from some of the splits.As I dismantled the pile and inspected each piece, only the oak had holes in them, the red maple was untouched.I split some bark off and found a small white grub with a dark head in the wood.I intend to burn them all!!

You can see in one of the pics that there is some dust on one of the pics. They all had dust but those splits were moved before I took the pic. Last week I brought a bunch of wood in next to the fire and I heard a creaking noise from some of the logs. After a couple of minutes of my GF and I trying to figure it out, I quickly put all the wood and holder out in the garage. It is cooler out there, close to outside temps and the noise stopped. I know the grubs didn't touch the heartwood but I still don't want those things in my house. I've had enough issues with the place already! Does anyone know if they will die with a hard freeze and I can bring the wood indoors. I used to bring a couple days worth into the house and stack next to the stove. I am a little apprehensive about doing that now.