Oak boring beetle in dry firewood.

[MRD1985]

Found a dozen pieces or so of 20% oak with holes in them. Found the oak boring beetle in some of the holes. I put most of the pieces I could get out of the stack easily into the fire pit (haven’t burnt them yet). Might be a couple pieces left with smaller holes. Most of the holes were in sapwood or near the bark. A couple pieces had holes in heartwood

My concern is the infestation spreading to the rest of the wood, and or live trees in my yard. What’s the best course of action you’d take?

 

[Eman85]

Light it all on fire! Seriously it's a game of a little for them and the rest for you. I had large red oak logs and before I could cut them there were sawdust streaks everywhere. I cut them split them and stacked them and I'm sure they are eating some of my wood. There's always some sawdust and snake skins in my wood stacks.

 

[MRD1985]

Light it all on fire! Seriously it's a game of a little for them and the rest for you. I had large red oak logs and before I could cut them there were sawdust streaks everywhere. I cut them split them and stacked them and I'm sure they are eating some of my wood. There's always some sawdust and snake skins in my wood stacks.

I burned most of the pieces that had holes in the fire pit

 

[Eman85]

If you keep checking you'll keep burning and have no wood for winter.

 

[MRD1985]

If you keep checking you'll keep burning and have no wood for winter.

I just don’t want them going after live trees. I have several oaks in very close vicinity.

That being said I have plenty of wood. I can spare what I just burned without a problem

 

[Eman85]

They probably came from your live trees. Google oak blight, getting pretty common too.

 

[MRD1985]

They probably came from your live trees. Google oak blight, getting pretty common too.

My live trees look healthy with no browning or loss of canopy at this point. Not sure where they came from

 

[bigealta]

You have white oaks or Red oaks? The reds are getting slammed on my property in Coastal NJ. The whites are supposed to be more resistant.

But i think it;s a disease or blight? not the bugs that are killing the red oaks here?

 

[MRD1985]

You have white oaks or Red oaks? The reds are getting slammed on my property in Coastal NJ. The whites are supposed to be more resistant.

But i think it;s a disease or blight? not the bugs that are killing the red oaks here?

I have 8 large red oaks and 1 big white oak.

 

[bigealta]

Well keep us posted on them. Mine died very quickly. The leaves dried up and the trees were dead that same year. Lost a couple each year these last 3 years. All were big mature trees from 36" diameter to 24", and a smaller 16". All red oaks.

The huge white oak right by the house is hanging in there so far.

 

[weee123]

Well keep us posted on them. Mine died very quickly. The leaves dried up and the trees were dead that same year. Lost a couple each year these last 3 years. All were big mature trees from 36" diameter to 24", and a smaller 16". All red oaks.

The huge white oak right by the house is hanging in there so far.

I’m having the same problem with my red oaks in SW NJ as well. Lots are dying at a rapid rate. It’s a shame. And the ones in my yard are full grown mature, 24”+ at the stump

 

[MRD1985]

Well keep us posted on them. Mine died very quickly. The leaves dried up and the trees were dead that same year. Lost a couple each year these last 3 years. All were big mature trees from 36" diameter to 24", and a smaller 16". All red oaks.

The huge white oak right by the house is hanging in there so far.

I will definitely keep an eye on them. Are they dying from the oak borer ?

Mine are also 35-40” diameter, with one over 4 feet.