What's eatin' my wood?

[Trktrd]

Yesterday relocated a stack from outside into the woodshed, mostly red oak and birch. There was fine dust all over it and as I was going through the stack I kept seeing black moth looking bugs. Are these things eating my wood?

 

[basswidow]

Normally - the fine dust is from powder post beetles. Post up a picture maybe someone can make an ID. The moth cocoons are usually obvious fuzz balls. I doubt they are making any holes.

 

[Woody Stover]

They seem to like Hickory as well.

 

[smokinj]

They seem to like Hickory as well.

I have it in the hickory and hackberry.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yesterday relocated a stack from outside into the woodshed, mostly red oak and birch. There was fine dust all over it and as I was going through the stack I kept seeing black moth looking bugs. Are these things eating my wood?

Yes, they eat some wood. Nothing to worry about though except for knocking off that fine sawdust before taking into the house.

 

[bogydave]

I get some in the spruce. Spruce beetles eat just under the bark & die if we get a cold winter.
Also we have big black carpenter ants in some older spruce, but leave when the tree is cut down & split.

 

[seeyal8r]

I've had a similar issue with hickory and pecan. The holes are much lager and they do enough damage that I'll avoid stacking hickory or pecan in abundance for any period of time. Really made a mess mainly due to the diameter of the holes. Some of the rounds that were 2-4" in diameter were almost completely eaten to the point they weren't worth doing anything with.

Attached is a pic of it off the net.

When I brought the wood in out of the cold the beetles started crawling out. My 16 month old son is like a hound dog on them. He finds them and points.

 

[Trktrd]

Well, if nothing else those holes will allow my wood to dry faster. Haven't seen any activity when the wood is brought in the house luckily.

 

[MasterMech]

Well, if nothing else those holes will allow my wood to dry faster. Haven't seen any activity when the wood is brought in the house luckily.

Aerated wood! :lol: