Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Dean Marlow on June 28, 2013, 12:55:58 pm
-
Here are some Osage logs I got this winter and I have split them in half and put them in the barn for drying. I like to leave them in half logs a few months before I split them out. It helps keep twisting in check a little more. I sprayed these down with insecticide and stored them away. Good thing I checked on them. I got the powder post beetle eating them alive. The powder looks white so they are mostly in the sap but wasn't planning on working them up until next winter. Get the cold drinks out and start in on debarking I guess. First time I had the insecticide fail. Do you battle bugs with Yew? Dean
-
The only bugs that attack yew live in the uk and from what I hear are not very common(mealy bug????). Other that that I've never seen a yew stave with bugs in it. BUT if the yew is in a place that's slightly damp (say near the dryer or in the same room) the sapwood will start to decompose. Evidence; a blue or grey fungus that penetrates the whole of the sapwood.
I now have many heartwood stave ;)
-
The only bugs that attack yew live in the uk and from what I hear are not very common(mealy bug????). Other that that I've never seen a yew stave with bugs in it. BUT if the yew is in a place that's slightly damp (say near the dryer or in the same room) the sapwood will start to decompose. Evidence; a blue or grey fungus that penetrates the whole of the sapwood.
I now have many heartwood stave ;)
Eh???? Dunno where you got that idea???
I've never seen bug damage in UK Yew.
I have had Yew from Oregon with bug holes riddling the sapwood. I had to saw off the sapwood and back the heartwood. One with Boo, the other with English Yew. Produced two fine bows.
Del
-
The only bugs that attack yew live in the uk and from what I hear are not very common(mealy bug????). Other that that I've never seen a yew stave with bugs in it. BUT if the yew is in a place that's slightly damp (say near the dryer or in the same room) the sapwood will start to decompose. Evidence; a blue or grey fungus that penetrates the whole of the sapwood.
I now have many heartwood stave ;)
Eh???? Dunno where you got that idea???
I've never seen bug damage in UK Yew.
I have had Yew from Oregon with bug holes riddling the sapwood. I had to saw off the sapwood and back the heartwood. One with Boo, the other with English Yew. Produced two fine bows.
Del
Yeah its usually other countries that send their bugs over here to eat our trees ;)
-
I love Osage as bow wood but it is the hardest wood for me to keep. If it isn't bugs it is wanting to twist up or wanting to crack or check. The bugs love Hickory also but not near the twisting or cracking while drying.
-
The only bugs that attack yew live in the uk and from what I hear are not very common(mealy bug????). Other that that I've never seen a yew stave with bugs in it. BUT if the yew is in a place that's slightly damp (say near the dryer or in the same room) the sapwood will start to decompose. Evidence; a blue or grey fungus that penetrates the whole of the sapwood.
I now have many heartwood stave ;)
Eh???? Dunno where you got that idea???
I've never seen bug damage in UK Yew.
I have had Yew from Oregon with bug holes riddling the sapwood. I had to saw off the sapwood and back the heartwood. One with Boo, the other with English Yew. Produced two fine bows.
Del
Yeah its usually other countries that send their bugs over here to eat our trees ;)
Read it on this forum(doesnt mean its true, i know ::) )I'll try to find the post.
Bugs that affect yew; Taxus mealy bug, tortix moth caterpillars, black vine weevil, Taxus scale, Yew gall midge.
I've searched all these insects and I don't thing I've ever seen one.
Edit: checked my "Field Guide to Pacific Northwest Insects" and I didn't see any yew bugs in it :/ except the 'Scale' and here's what it said: Discussion: The Scale, introduced long ago on nursery stock from Europe, has spread to more than 100 different American plants.
-
Yeah, certainly can't trust what one reads. I read somewhere that Yew doesn't get get bug damage 'cos it's toxic.
Maybe the bugs in the stuff I had couldn't read?
Bottome line is, I've never needed to bother with insecticide when seasoning stuff in the UK.
And if you do have bug damage the only safe thing is to rip it off and back the bow.
Del
-
And that's why you need to dry them inside your house
-
I do not dry staves in my house. Good way to bring something in there you don't want in there as far as insects go. Had a friend that brought in termites one time by storing his firewood inside.
-
I've never had problems with insects in Oregon either:)
Doesn't seem very common.
All my wood stays in the shop, I noticed some wasps trying to get to my juniper so I made a bottle trap, and set it in the window. Now they go for that instead.
Other than that...... Nothing.
-
I've never had problems with insects in Oregon either:)
Doesn't seem very common.
All my wood stays in the shop, I noticed some wasps trying to get to my juniper so I made a bottle trap, and set it in the window. Now they go for that instead.
Other than that...... Nothing.
I think those might be my wasps... Can you ship 'em back over? ;D
Del
-
Hahahaha
Those darn sawflies
-
Wrll then spray your wood down with some insect repellant
-
All the more reason to get the bark and sapwood off as quickly as you can.
See the osage with the dark circles on it? Powder post beetles really went after this piece when I left it outside. I toasted their holes with a propane torch, no more beetles, just a few seconds per hole did the trick.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/bow%20making/billetcollection.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ekrewson/media/bow%20making/billetcollection.jpg.html)
-
The Foster Home that I work at had a powder post beetle infestation, and I keep my drying yes on the front porch. I've haven't see a bug touch it in 5 years.
-
Very rarely see any bug marks in dead standing yew, only in sapwood. I haven't had any problems with bugs in yew that I have cut. Now Juniper on the other hand...lets just say I got my drawknife work out in the other day ::).
-
Years ago on another forum, there was a discussion started by Dean Torges where he was talking about wood wasps getting into his big pile of osage logs. He was looking for a simpler solution than constantly going through his stash of wood, and spraying chemicals, etc. I believe he ended up taking someone's advise and throwing the logs in the pond. The bugs left them alone and the wood actually doesn't absorb a bunch of water and get spongy.