critters

[Typ0]

I am moving a stack and one row down I see holes in the wood. I can see the critters they are hard to get a picture of without a macro lens though. The attached are with my phone if I have to I will get out the SLR. One pic has a couple larger ants on it but they aren't doing the damage. I think I have to figure out if they are flying ants or termites...any ideas from what you see? Should I be worried?


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[Fred Wright]

Pretty sure that's termites. The fine dust is a good indicator of termite boring. Haven't found 'em in the stacks but they did attack a couple logs I'd felled and left lay for a month or so.

I doubt they'll be an issue for your firewood; just don't stack the wood close to your house.

 

[Typ0]

HMMMM....well this does freak me out a bit. I mean...I have an indoor stove for one thing. And I don't want to walk half way across my lot to bring wood in every day. In fact, I was hoping to stack some on the porch and right outside the porch. And I have about 8 cords of wood out there all within the general vicinity getting infested no doubt. How do I rid my property of these pests?

 

[Applesister]

Termites need wet wood, and usually if you see exit holes, the bugs have completed their life cycle in the wood and have already vacated.
Exit holes are...well...exit holes. The bugs probably left the wood when you cut it up. Too late to worry.
Those holes are too tiny for termites anyway.

 

[Applesister]

Seperate your infected wood from clean and burn that wood first, or leave it for an outdoor firepit. I stack all the punky and bug infected wood in seperate piles. The thing is that the wood boring bugs all fly to their next host so its not really anything you can do.

 

[Typ0]

hmmmm.

Termites need wet wood, and usually if you see exit holes, the bugs have completed their life cycle in the wood and have already vacated.
Exit holes are...well...exit holes. The bugs probably left the wood when you cut it up. Too late to worry.
Those holes are too tiny for termites anyway.

That is what I was thinking about the holes....like these are most likely flying ants.

Assuming they are flying ants how does that change my approach? I want to burn this wood in my stove it's some of the only seasoned wood I have.

Additionally, I would think any wood I stack out there is going to become infested with these bugs.

 

[Applesister]

They generally pupate in the wood over winter and emerge in the spring. Like February and March.
Your wood in your pic has already been infested, and the holes look like powder post beetles.
Most wood boring bugs prefer live trees and they are the most dangerous to the trees. Powder post beetles are more of a problem to dried wood. You can look them up and post anything you find here in your thread.
Not all of your firewood will be infected, and just run that wood from outside directly into your stove/furnace.
Dont worry about it, and short of the above suggestion thats about all you can do.
Spraying does not reach bugs inside the wood.

 

[Applesister]

Ants form colonies and they dont emerge from the wood thru individual holes.