OK so if your splitting some wood and you find say big ants is it , or termites on it what do you do ?
Spray , just hope they disappear ?
Spray , just hope they disappear ?
Critters in the wood your splitting
- Thread starter Smcgill
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The carpenter ants won't just go away, they will infest the trees in your yard. Always good to have some termite and carpenter ant killer spray mixed up, especially if you know the wood has the ants and most times it is obvious they are in it.
can I burn the wood when it's dried properly ?
I do and have for years. when you bust that log open they will come out. most of the spray goes on the ground killing them. if you don't kill them they will get in your yard trees. and you won't kill them all so some will anyway. especially if you have big oaks.
But i will mention that i don't just soak the wood in it either. i also will split the log with a maul in the woods if i suspect it is full of them. i have even split them up and let them stay in the woods untill the ants leave.
I have never seen as many ants in wood, this year is the worst!
Seems like the last two i cut up had rattlers in them. they had hollow section them stink ants had eaten away but only the snakes were there. this sucker crawled between my legs while bucking up the trunk.
Spray with a 2 gallon hand pump sprayer, mix Dawn dishwashing liquid very heavy with water this kills most insects I have encountered including Wasps!
I just split the wood into chunks and leave it in my wood processing area for a while. The bugs like a certain environment and when you split the round up you change it. They're particularly sensitive to the amount of moisture. When you split the round open you just destroyed that environment. So they will leave. I finish splitting it when they're gone.
As far as the bugs infesting the rest of my trees, the wood I'm splitting came from my property. The bugs are already here and in whatever trees they want to be in. Me splitting wood won't do anything except make them leave those pieces of wood. Killing them won't affect the bugs in the rest of my property. If I'm going to spray poison, I want it to be effective. So I don't bother with bugs in wood.
If the wood is not rotten it'll burn once its dry. I get more wood than I can burn so I don't bother too much with questionable wood.
As far as the bugs infesting the rest of my trees, the wood I'm splitting came from my property. The bugs are already here and in whatever trees they want to be in. Me splitting wood won't do anything except make them leave those pieces of wood. Killing them won't affect the bugs in the rest of my property. If I'm going to spray poison, I want it to be effective. So I don't bother with bugs in wood.
If the wood is not rotten it'll burn once its dry. I get more wood than I can burn so I don't bother too much with questionable wood.
rms61moparman
Addicted to ArboristSite
I let them hibernate in the wood in a separate pile that I take directly in when it get super cold and toss in the stove ants and all, before it has a chance to warm them up! The fire takes care of them as the wood burns. While I smile and say something like "How about that now you little S.O.B.'s".
Mike
Mike
bmwz3coupe
ArboristSite Lurker
I keep a spray can of carb cleaner handy. Kills them instantly and the chemicals evaporate quickly.
Soapy water is a heck of a lot cheaper, and works just as well.
Just sayin'.
Just sayin'.
Bill G
ArboristSite King
Fire is cheaper, easier, and more fun.
Bill G
ArboristSite King
So did you eat him?
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