How do we save our staves from bugs ?

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

I've being cussing severely as of late due to the buggers

..I guess first of all we have to figure out what kind of bugs we are dealing with,..hopefully some expert will chime in.

the most puzziling situation happened yesterday, I was just about at floor tiller with this bow when all of a sudden tunnels started appearyng under the rasp, I was baffeld because there was no entry hole anywere, after traking down I finally got the worm, I've seen this worms before, but usually start from the bark and make heyr way into the wood, Where did this guy come from ?..don't they need to breathe ??

The other week I went for my first harvest in a long time, i prepped the wood, and just a few days later i found this black looking beatlets already diggin holes in the wood, i was so mad that i grabbed a moskito repellent can next to me and srayed the buggers, they died instantly, so just for kicks I srayed the staves with moskito repellent, well no bugs have touched this wood in weeks now ...maybe one problem solved

[DanaM]

Manny you need to move somewhere cold, like here in da UP bugs all get frozen so not much of a problem eh
You could still go surfin on Lake Superior when she gets here dander up, might be a bit chilly but hey you could get used to it

[mullet]

  Manny ,Try mixing a really concentrated soap mixture and coating your staves.

[PatM]

 Get some Tim-Bor and give your staves a good treatment. We get those type of bugs in Canada too so cold isn't the answer to curing the problem.  Much less likely to be a problem though. Wood cut when the sap is up is much more appealing to them it seems.

[Pat B]

Manny, living in Hawaii, there is no telling what kind of bug you got. They can be from anywhere around the Pacific rim and farther. Maybe contact the USDA, State University Horticulture Department or State Cooperative Extension Service. One of them can tell you what you got and how to prevent or discourage them.
   Eddie's idea about soapy water is a sound one...even for a Cracker! Also insecticidal oils(non-toxic) will work if either gets on the critter. What they do is either coat the critter(oil) and smothers them or break the surface tension of the water(soap) and drowns them.
   Good luck and keep us posted.     Pat 

[Rich Saffold]

Manny, Sometimes these worms will grow up inside the wood, I've seen that a couple times too many..Here's a couple things to try:

Immediate bark removal after cutting  is what I would do . Can't imagine checking being a problem there...

Cutting bows right from green wood  and coating them. This way you can get an idea quickly if you are going to have problems, as opposed to later when floor tillering.. Of course you may have to clamp some down to keep them straight, but its not like you have never worked on a snakey bow

Check with the local wood/cabinet shops as well since they may have some unique solutions to try.

Rich

[PatM]

 Bugs like that tend to be some type of powder post beetles. You can't really go by what should be native to the area anymore. Bugs are international travelers today. We have trouble right now with Asian long-horned beetles and Emerald Ash borers from Asia wiping out our Maples and Ashes in Canada.
 Some of those boring larva spend years in wood. Google "powder post beetle" for some unnerving stuff.
 At least they are not as bad as Toredo  worms which are the bane of saltwater curing afficionados.

[JackCrafty]

Bug spray on staves.....sounds like an excellent idea. 

We've got beetles here in Texas that eat the sapwood of mesquite and elm, for example.  The best solution is to use wood that is pest resistant....but you already know that.

You could always try "cooking" the wood at 165^oF like some of the commercial drying operations (lumber kilns). That'll kill them buggers....

[El Destructo]

Strip the Bark off ....and soak them in Volk Oil...this ill soffocate the little Buggers....and wont harm the Staves either....plus it is Cheap too........

[Hillbilly]

The only time I have bug trouble here is if I leave the bark on staves. We have flat-headed wood borers and powderpost beetles, never had trouble with either on on debarked staves. Borax from the grocery store is usally pretty effective at repelling bugs and isn't nearly as toxic and nasty as the chemical insecticides.

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

O.K., so this is gonna be my plan for the future, debark and take the stave down to bow dimentions rigth away,...spray with moskito repellent for keeping the flying bugs from attacking.

Try make a bow within 6 months, so those larvae don't have time to do to much damage, and last, even if not necessary, heat temper the bow, ..to cook any possible larvae in there .

...So those guys don't need air to live I guess .....even sending the staves to space for curing wouldn't work then

[PeteC]

Manny,it sounds like you've got a plan.As for the insect larvae,you can bet they're getting air.They have to breathe just as we do.But they are tough,imagine eating your way thru a log,while you're a youngster.only to emerge as an adult,then start the cycle all over again.My biggest problems with boisd'arc here in Texas are flat-head wood borers and carpenter ants. God Bless         PeteC

[Dane]

 Some of those boring larva spend years in wood. Google "powder post beetle" for some unnerving stuff.
 At least they are not as bad as Toredo  worms which are the bane of saltwater curing afficionados.
[/quote]

I know what you mean. Every few years, I have to beach my bows and scrap them down. The crew always threatens to mutiny.

[sailordad]

well you dont have to think of them as a problem,think of them as a nice tasty snack

this way you dont have to leave the work shop to go get something to munch on

                                                                               tim

[El Destructo]

                         P.P.Beetles will not only eat your Staves...but your House as well....worse than Termites