I got a issue with some pine that I have. What is causing this?

[Caseihmech]

I was over by my wood pile and heard a noise. So I was trying to figure out what it was and found little piles of sawdust on a small section of wood.

My biggest worry is if I have termites in my wood? Or is it some other bug?

It is only on one small pile of wood and doesn't look like it has touched any of the hard wood that I have.

 

[Keyless Chuck]

I got those on my wood pile. Could be carpenter ants, bees? It's mostly on Ash splits. My opinion and I'm not an expert at it but once the wood dries enough and the frost kicks in it should be fine...?

 

[Ashful]

Hard to say from a photo of some sawdust, but whatever it is, will be frozen in November, and roasted in January! Another good reason to not store your wood "in doors".

I know of no termites that live in wood. They live in the earth, and make daily ventures into the wood. Typically, the only thing you can move by moving firewood (unless stored in direct earth contact), would be a few workers. No queen, no sustainable colony.

 

[ScotO]

not termites, more likely sawyer beetle larvae....
Every species of wood that I know of (except for walnut, maybe) has it's own version of borer that will do what is happeing to your wood right now. Nothing to be alarmed about at all, they will put off BTU's just like the wood they are eating when you chuck them into the firebox!

 

[PapaDave]

Don't they clog cats though?
He needs to dig all those little bastages outta that wood, and pronto.
Unless, of course, no cats are involved.
Wat a minute....You burn Pine? Good man.

 

[bogydave]

I get the same here in spruce.
Never caught the little buggers but the seem to be gone after winter.
I only see the wood dust the 1st year it's stacked. They don't seem to come back.
I don't see it from splits with no bark.

CSS last fall, the bug wood dust showed up when it got warm. (but when stacked in the shed this Fall, it don't come back the next year)
Maybe not enough moisture under the bark after a year of drying. Today's pics:

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Looks like powder post beetles.

 

[Elderthewelder]

I get the same here in spruce.
Never caught the little buggers but the seem to be gone after winter.
I only see the wood dust the 1st year it's stacked. They don't seem to come back.
I don't see it from splits with no bark.

CSS last fall, the bug wood dust showed up when it got warm. (but when stacked in the shed this Fall, it don't come back the next year)
Maybe not enough moisture under the bark after a year of drying. Today's pics:
View attachment 107093 View attachment 107094

I had exact same thing with some pine I had stacked, looked just like that and like you said no issues with splits with no bark., It was real wet this last winter/fall and I thought that may had something to do with it as wood was wet

I re stacked under cover and problem seemed to have gone away

 

[peakbagger]

Pine has bark borers that will keep munching as long as the bark is on. Usually splitting it and stacking it slow them down. Worse case is strip the bark before cutting (a messy job)

 

[Caseihmech]

I took the wood that had the bugs in it out to my grandpa's burn pile in his pasture. It was a small section and I am trying to sell the wood that I have, because I am in the process of switching to a pellet stove. I don't think a buyer would like the bugs even if I told them they were not a big deal.

I found out it was a pine beetle. To me they looked like a maggot. It amazed me how many there were under the bark of the splits. One reason why you don't have problems with splits with out bark is because they lay their eggs under the bark.

One thing that I forgot to put in my original post is that I could hear them making noise. You could here them making a clicking/chirping like noise. From about 10 feet away.

Thank you very much for your help. Hopefully they didn't make it to any of my other wood.

 

[bogydave]

One thing that I forgot to put in my original post is that I could hear them making noise. You could here them making a clicking/chirping like noise. From about 10 feet away.

Well that explains it. I can't hear so I don't notice it like you do. LOL

 

[teutonicking]

I was over by my wood pile and heard a noise. So I was trying to figure out what it was and found little piles of sawdust on a small section of wood.

My biggest worry is if I have termites in my wood? Or is it some other bug?

It is only on one small pile of wood and doesn't look like it has touched any of the hard wood that I have.

On the bright side, more air holes, faster seasoning!

 

[BrotherBart]

Don't they clog cats though?

Beat me to it.

 

[firefighterjake]

Pine has bark borers that will keep munching as long as the bark is on. Usually splitting it and stacking it slow them down. Worse case is strip the bark before cutting (a messy job)

I think we have a winner . . .

I can hear them munching away on my pine in the woodstacks . . . I don't mind . . . as long as they leave me some when it comes time to burn.

 

[mattjm1017]

I took the wood that had the bugs in it out to my grandpa's burn pile in his pasture. It was a small section and I am trying to sell the wood that I have, because I am in the process of switching to a pellet stove. I don't think a buyer would like the bugs even if I told them they were not a big deal.

I found out it was a pine beetle. To me they looked like a maggot. It amazed me how many there were under the bark of the splits. One reason why you don't have problems with splits with out bark is because they lay their eggs under the bark.

One thing that I forgot to put in my original post is that I could hear them making noise. You could here them making a clicking/chirping like noise. From about 10 feet away.

Thank you very much for your help. Hopefully they didn't make it to any of my other wood.

Its funny you say this about them making noise. I have several large rounds of pine that I keep hearing clicking and chirping noises from I thought it was lizards or frogs under there but every time I move them around there's nothing there. I have been peeling all of the bark off of them and I find lots of the maggot looking beetle larvae and some beetles I thought there's no way they're making that noise now I'm thinking yes it is them.

 

[toqua]

I belive You have the bark beetle,at least thats what I have in mine.

 

[billb3]

Pine has bark borers that will keep munching as long as the bark is on. Usually splitting it and stacking it slow them down. Worse case is strip the bark before cutting (a messy job)

That's my experience with white pine, too.

 

[cnice_37]

I used to be a pine snob until I found this place. This year past from Nemo we are inundated with pine, and the stuff I haven't split has piles of OP's pic. Munch munch munch, split, and those are some fat larvae. Too funny to watch my kid poke the stick at them and go "ewwwww."

I've also noticed the woodpeckers love them. Kind of cool to watch the cycle of nature (chainsaws included?)