Bug problems...

[gudspelr]

I finally managed to get over to a friend's place to harvest some black locust and came back home with a few decent chunks of wood for staves.  I'd noticed when unloading them into my garage that there were some dark spots at the center of the heart wood, but didn't think much of it at the time.  I didn't get a chance to split the sections into staves yet and decided to go put some glue on the ends.  When doing so, I noticed an earwig or two at the end (this was after sitting on the garage floor for a few hours).  On the other end, I saw even more and when I whacked the wood good and hard, a few came out of the black hole in the heart wood.

I'm afraid I already may know the answer, but is that whole 7' section of log going to be useless for staves if I have earwigs crawling out of it?  Oh, and if it matters, the tree wasn't dead and is probably about 8" diameter.

Never knew those ugly little bugs took up residence in trees....  Thanks for any help

Jeremy

[Bryce]

There In the heartwood?!!!
Hmm that's strange, but the again I dont know much about locust.
Split her open and see where they've been wandering around. Maybe they haven't gotten that far in.

-B

[DarkSoul]

Earwigs don't burrow holes in wood. They don't eat wood. However, they do prefer moist and dark places such as cracks in dead trees or underneath dead tree bark. If you find them in the heart of the tree, there must be some hole from the outside of the tree towards the center. The insects then crawl towards the safe inside of the trunk. These insects are as indicator for cracks or rot in the core of a trunk. They's don't mean that the wood is unuseable. It could be possibly that other wood borers have made holes in the wood. You can only find out by splitting the wood. My guess would be that you don't need to worry too much. You might lose one stave per log, but I doubt insects have destroyed all the persistant black locust wood in a living tree.

[Hrothgar]

Locust is notorious for having borers--the big, fat, white or yellowish bugs. They can destroy a log.
That's one reason I don't cut more of it. As soon as possible I would bebark the back and then re-seal it. Also, douse your stave with something that will stop the pests.  I believe these critters are one reason the English left their staves submerged in running water for a time.

[gudspelr]

Thanks for the info, guys.  At the risk of sounding liking an idiot, let me ask another question-does it matter what kind of bug spray I put on the wood?  Just some Raid or whatever else is in the garage work fine?  Hopefully when I split it open I won't have a mass exodus of creepy crawlies....


Jeremy

[Hrothgar]

Jeremy I've used diesal fuel, mineral spirits etc. There is some type of insect poison that is more eco-friendly I'm sure. The problem is getting the stuff into the tunnels.
     
There are some other guys on this site who can be of more help.

[vinemaplebows]

Borax and water(hot) mix about 2 cups to a gallon, mix till diluted spray everything.

[gudspelr]

Have Borax and the ability to make water hot-time to keep some bugs at bay  .  Thanks for all the help, guys.

Jeremy

[soy]

I hate earwigs i have them everywhere ...by the thousands ....creepy little bugs ...have not been able to get rid of them...so far looks as if tbey are just hideous little hiders and not destructive, however i do lave grubs... bad ...not shure of it is them or not! Good luck

[DarkSoul]

Despite spraying the wood with some bug spray, I would still strongly advice you to split the log first. You need to split the log anyway for safer and quicker driying. Splitting it allows you to see the inside, to see if you're just wasting your time with already bug infested wood (I guess not). You can also reach more surface area with the spray when you split the log.
Split the log, leave bark ON, seal the ends, treat with bug spray.

[crooketarrow]

  About 20 years ago I cut dozens of O'SAGE and BL STARTING OUT DID'NT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BUDS THEN.
  I DO NOW
 Go to LOWES and get some pestaside. If it has'nt been a while unliikey they reached the heart wood. Spray it right away NOW.
  Wood boarers only eat dead wood and as soon as you cut it it's dead.
 They only eat into woods that the barks left on. The eges are layed in the bark.
  If I'm not going to debark and sell. I spray as soon as I get the log home.