I got bugs

[Jambx]

Ok guys - looks like someone is having a nice meal on me. Take a look at the pic and if this was your wood pile (which will be ready to burn next year) what would you do?

I have seen this before but not to this extent.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

~jim

 

[HDRock]

Is the problem with just one kind of wood or ?

 

[pen]

Is that ash? Reason I ask is I've only had bug problems with ash (thankfully though, not the emerald ash borer yet).

At the end of the day, until you give us a pic of the culprit so that it can be identified, it's tough to say if it could pose a problem inside the house or not.

To be safe, it would be easiest to keep the firewood outside the house but near the door in a large tote or kids toybox, small wood shack you can make, etc and bring that wood in only as you are loading the stove just in case it is a creature that would be willing to harvest on dried (in home) wood things.

pen

 

[bogydave]

I wouldn't worry a lot.
Cold weather will cure the bug issues & the ones inside the wood are BTUs.
Just don't take & store a weeks worth of wood inside the house & you should be OK.

 

[weatherguy]

I have something similar going on in my pile, best as I can tell its a black beetle of some sort. I think a few nights in the 20's will take care of them.

 

[firefighterjake]

I think this was a good summer for bugs . . . I have a cord of white pine drying outside that looks like a carpentry shop with all the sawdust piled on the splits. I wouldn't worry though . . . by the time it gets really cold to burn those bugs will either be dormant or dead.

 

[BobUrban]

When I am moving my wood from seasoning stack to getting ready to burn storage I come across a pile or two like that and it is always near a punky piece of wood. If not too punky I throw it onto the stack near by to let winter take care of them. If it is junk I burn it in the fire pit and move on. Last year I stored 1.5-2 cord inside with out issue - this year I have 4 plus inside already. Time will tell if I need to rethink my strategy as far as bugs go but I sure like the convenience of it's locale when winter is rolling.

 

[WoodPorn]

I had similar issues a few years back, turned out to beetles boring out the wood. I think they were Powder Post beetles if I remember correctly.

 

[Cold Is Dumb]

There are a few sites that can help you determine the bug by the frass (the sawdust). But, more than likely, it's powder post beetles. They are relatively harmless, just try not to bring them inside. I have PPB's in my stacks, and have never had any issues with my house/furniture getting chewed on. As suggested, don't bring a truckload of wood into your house and you should be fine.

 

[Jambx]

Thanks guys – I will go out back and confirm the wood type – for the life of me I think it was cherry. I have seen this before on some of my other piles but this one is really bad – the entire side of the stack (4’x5’) shows these granules. I don’t store a lot of wood inside – just enough to keep the stove kicking for a day to day and a half. Just disconcerting since I don’t like the thought of infestation and would think they could migrate to any adjacent piles.

 

[pen]

Thanks guys – I will go out back and confirm the wood type – for the life of me I think it was cherry. .

In looking at it on a bigger screen, it does look like I see some hints of bark that are cherry, also the color in one of the upper pieces looks right too.

 

[Augie]

From another post on this subject I posted this

Permethrin is a chemical made from chrysanthemums originally, safe for humans and dogs, not so much for cats, same thing in most broad spectrum insecticides, cheapest way to buy it is as Horse Spray from a farm store. I use it liberally abound the woodpile and the house, inside along the sill in the basement, around the floor wall joints, and outside on the foundation about once every month in the late spring,summer,fall. Haven't had bugs in the house since I started doing it. Same stuff in Ortho Home Defense. It is more preventative for me though.....

Permethrin Since then I have found it is also the active ingredient in most broad spectrum lawn insecticides. So I picked up the cheapest bag I could fine.. Home Depot I think and I put it around the woodpile and from the house out to about 2ft, makes a barrier around my house, do this about every month starting in march and I havent had ants or earwigs in the house like the first year I moved in. I really have no need to kill bugs in my lawn just keep them out of the house and Im happy.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I get bees nest in the wood as well. All kind of creatures make their home out of wood ,not just humans.

 

[NortheastAl]

I spray around the woodpiles with the Ortho Home Defense. Another one I read was to sprinkle Comet cleanser on the ground around the woodpile. The chlorine smell keeps bugs away. I tried that too, but the Ortho seems more effective.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

How about moth balls?

 

[PapaDave]

I think a few nights in the 20's will take care of them.

A couple minutes in a nice hot stove will do the same.
I get some of that too, but like has been said, once the cold hits, they're BTU's.
Don't worry, be happy.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I have a half dozen little wrens that are having a feast in my wood stacks. They are natures insectivores.!
Especially black ants.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I had similar issues a few years back, turned out to beetles boring out the wood. I think they were Powder Post beetles if I remember correctly.

This one is not the PPB.

The pictures below are from the powder post beetle. Notice how fine the dust is.





As for the OP, I would not be concerned.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

There are a few sites that can help you determine the bug by the frass (the sawdust). But, more than likely, it's powder post beetles. They are relatively harmless, just try not to bring them inside. I have PPB's in my stacks, and have never had any issues with my house/furniture getting chewed on. As suggested, don't bring a truckload of wood into your house and you should be fine.

See the above post.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

How about moth balls?

How do you cut them out?

 

[ansehnlich1]

I'd put some boots on, and maybe some ear muffs, and sneak up on 'em and blast 'em with the 12 gauge.

Honestly, I think I posted something like this not to long ago to another thread....ain't no bug, no time, in my woodpile that ever gave me cause to lose sleep.

For real, if there's something in my woodpile that's gonna eat a half cord of split firewood, I'm going out to meet it well armed

 

[Seasoned Oak]

How do you cut them out?

Very carefully

 

[Applesister]

I would find the individual pieces and pull them out of the stack and burn them outside in a burn pit or outdoor fireplace. Then its out of your head.
The frass looked like pellets, you can research woodborers that produce pelleted frass, if you cut the trees from your yard and wanna know. But...there are so many.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I have the same thing going on in a punky piece of wood, I even have those weird webs that you can see in the op....

 

[Nixon]

I kinda don't mind them . They aerate the wood ..... Red oak seasons 4 days faster when it has all those little wholes .
YMMV !