Black Locust stash

[Swampman]

Last weekend I cut a couple of small black locust trees. They were very straight.  One tree I managed to get 18 feet of logs.  Today I peeled the bark off and look what I found on a bunch of it.  Anyone want to make bows out of this?



I did manage to get 4 really good staves.  I also got another 5 staves that I think will yield some really cool character bows with holes through them. I was pretty disappointed with what I yielded out of these trees.  The bugs sure have been busy.

[George Tsoukalas]

The BL in NH has become very buggy also. I don't know what happened. BL in NH used to be clean. Jawge

[wizardgoat]

Brutal. How deep does it go?

[Swampman]

Brutal. How deep does it go?

It goes all the way to the center.  These were high up in the tree so I didn't notice before I cut them.

[PatM]

As the range of the locust expands due to it being a popular ornamental the range of the beetle expands too.

[loefflerchuck]

I just got the same thing. They cut all the invasive trees from the creek at the park near my house. I took 5 of the best logs and 15 of 17 staves are completely worthless from many bug holes. the other 2 may yield a bow

[Jodocus]

  Never seen that. Doesn't exist here. What's that, a beetle, you say? Gonna have to cut me a reserve of BL before it flies over the pond...

[CrazyHorse1969]

I just got the same thing. They cut all the invasive trees from the creek at the park near my house. I took 5 of the best logs and 15 of 17 staves are completely worthless from many bug holes. the other 2 may yield a bow

Same deal where I live. The DNR recently removed--and have been removing--White Ash at a major Sate Park (and elsewhere) because of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle. There were some old, monster White Ash being cut up for nothing more than fire wood I presume. It is hard to find an unaffected White Ash in my state.

[Jim Davis]

Just another example of the benefits of interaction with other parts of the world--emerald ash borer, oak beetle, Dutch elm disease, medfly. Ain't diversity grand!

[Hrothgar]

For that reason I've given up cutting black locust. I think my bugs were 'just' borers since the emerald ash borers are only now invading Missouri.

[PatM]

Just another example of the benefits of interaction with other parts of the world--emerald ash borer, oak beetle, Dutch elm disease, medfly. Ain't diversity grand!

No. The Locust borer is native and has always depended on the tree.

[Bullitt]

Black locust is one of my favorites, and that makes me sick to see!
Agree with Jim, free trade is not all good!

There is a disease issue now, here in the midwest, with black walnut.

Best to ya with the 4 good staves.

[Springbuck]

  Everything I cut looks like that.  I started walking by the smaller trees, as they seem to have the most of it.  Sigh.  start chasing out some rings roughly, and sometimes you get lucky and the bow is in there.

[Swampman]

I plan on chasing rings on the "best" staves and see what I get.  Maybe I will get lucky on some of them.  I gave a lot more trees to cut from this same farm.  The person wants them gone.  hopefully some of the trees aren't hit but I am not confident in that.