Bugs eating my logs! Help!!!

Rugged made
shop deals on amazon
Wesspur
Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Dad2FourWI

Dad2FourWI

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2010
Messages
91
Reaction score
8
Location
WI
I have been noticing some (many actually) pencil-sized holes in my logs (I am in Wisconsin) and I am getting concerned... There is a lot of "dust" on the ground and my wife hears "chewing" noises in our logs.

We have lots of logs, mostly pine... Norway/Red, Jack, White...

We use some of these logs as logs/timbers, others we cut.

Any suggestions are appreciated!!

-Dad2FourWI
 
Pine Borers....Peel the bark off quick! They start out real small & only eat the inner bark. Then when they get big enough, they develop big chompers & start boring into the tree. They are hard to kill when that happens, but when they are under the bark & you peel it they fall out & die.
 
We have a bug here called the sawyer beetle. Two year life cycle. First year under the bark then they dive in for winter and make big tunnels, running down the length.

Skin the logs.
 
boatman said:
We have a bug here called the sawyer beetle. Two year life cycle. First year under the bark then they dive in for winter and make big tunnels, running down the length.

Skin the logs.
Click to expand...

We have sawyer beetles LINK here too, they seem to like the white pine the best and will bore large holes (up to 3/8") clear through the log. You can hear a multitude of scraping sounds coming from the log when they are attacking it. They seem to only be able to eat through the white pine logs but not the other species, such as white oak or hickory. They get under the bark on those species and eat the cambium, but don't get much farther into the log due to its hardness.
I usually only fell white pine during the fall, and get it milled, stickered and stacked before winter. That way the blue stain and sawyer beetles don't destroy it. Leaving the bark on the log is the worst thing you can do as the beetles will lay the eggs in it, and the larva feed on it.
 
I really hate these little buggers!!!

Here is the worst part... some of these logs have made it into my cabin and are supporting the roof and floor!!!!!

One fellow suggested for me to use some sort of a "bug bomb" that fumigates the entire structure... but I was worried that may effect when I want to stain the wood later...

... but I suppose that really the number 1 priority is to stop these beetles!!!!!
 
If they aren't going to be house logs, saw them into cants and sticker/cover like you would lumber.

SR
 
@all,

Yes, the logs are skinned, and have been for a long time.

@SR,

Unfortunately, 9 of the logs are _already_ in my cabin... they are the main supports for my ridge beams and one for the catwalk floor!! I can hear "munching" (very light) when I am near the logs. <groan> I cannot imagine having to replace these logs!!!
 
Well, find the entrance hole and then, using a suitable length of soft wire or similar material that will follow the curves in the tunnel, push the wire down the hole and skewer the little bugger!:msp_sneaky:
We have grubs like that down here in OZ that eat into growing trees and that is the pesticide-free way of killing the critters. I don't know what they make speedometer cables out of these days but that might just work. Brush cutter / weed whacker Nylon cord? A long length of fine plastic tube and a good squirt of Kerosene may induce a severe alergic reaction resulting in the death of bug if you can't get a wire to the end of it's tunnel?
Good luck.
Dennis.
 
Old Hilly said:
Well, find the entrance hole and then, using a suitable length of soft wire or similar material that will follow the curves in the tunnel, push the wire down the hole and skewer the little bugger!:msp_sneaky:
We have grubs like that down here in OZ that eat into growing trees and that is the pesticide-free way of killing the critters. I don't know what they make speedometer cables out of these days but that might just work. Brush cutter / weed whacker Nylon cord? A long length of fine plastic tube and a good squirt of Kerosene may induce a severe alergic reaction resulting in the death of bug if you can't get a wire to the end of it's tunnel?
Good luck.
Dennis.
Click to expand...
Ha! That's funny you say that, because that's the way I do it too, I just keep pushing the wire in there and pulling it back out until I see bug juice on the end.:msp_sneaky:

You guys down in Oz must have some insects that make ours look like sweet lil' lady bugs...
 
Yep, we got all sorts of insects down here. We got termites that will eat you wooden leg off if you stand around too long;) ( but they are up in the Tropical North and they can stay there!) and we have the wood borers. Some of them get to about the size of your little finger and make good eating (nutty taste?):popcorn:, or so I am told but I won't be trying them out. The Big Cocatoos will sit on a tree and listen for the chewing noises, then rip the bark and sapwood off the tree to get at the grubs. Makes a fair mess of the tree, often killing it.
I guess that if you wanted to you could always make a barb on the end of the wire and drag the little critter out and see if it's edible. BBQ might be the way to go first though.:givebeer: And beer to wash them down, LOTTTTTS of beer!
 
There are several long horned beetle larvae in WI that do what you describe and applying Sevin on the outside of the logs will have little if any effect. The adults will be emerging pretty soon anyway, usually by mid summer. They can be killed by heat, like in a kiln, which you could do if you were trying to protect a limited number amount of wood.
 
@deerlakejens

Thanks for the info... yea, these guys are big... I am chasing them around the cabin and killing them... I should send a movie of that! My kids think I am insane as I run around stomping on these ugly buggers!!! :)


@starsailor

Yikes... that is frightening! Luckily, (hmmm, maybe not the correct word!) these buggers do _not_ have the white speckles. We have killed about 40 of these beasties and have gotten "close and personal" many times as I want to squish them every chance I have!!

As I said, these logs are already in the cabin doing important jobs like holding up my roof and floors!!! I am crossing my fingers that if I can kill all the emerging adults that will be end of it... as all these logs are already peeled and air dried for close to two years.

Does this make sense or am I "lying to myself/wishful thinking"????

I have not seen any beetles for a day or two, but when I make my "bug rounds" today, I will bring my camera and snap a shot of the ugly dude before I show him my boot!!!

Thanks again everybody!!!! I do appreciate the input!
 
starsailor said:
Look here for info and make sure it's not these new invaiders. They've wiped out over half the trees in entire towns here in MA.

Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) is killing trees. Spot it? Report it! | BeetleBusters.info
Click to expand...

Feel your pain,

we had the Emerald Ash Borer come through here.

Little bastards girdle the whole trunk. I need to get some pics out in the woods, the bark is all sluffing off now, and the roving marks are awesome looking.

I don't think it has the best keeping properties, because the wind storm that came through here snapped a few that were in direct line with the winds (~90mph)
 
attachment.php
 
While working in the cabin today... I finally came across one of these buggers that I did not squish yet... here he is in all of his splendor...

View attachment 248042
View attachment 248043

There are no more "crunching" noises and so I am guessing that they have all finally emerged ... and met my boot!!!!

I am hoping that this is the end of these guys as I look into their life cycle...!!!!! ... but any additional advice is always appreciated!!!!

Many thanks,
-Dad2FourWI
 

Similar threads

S
Building a logging (hobby) trailer w/Winch onboard
2
Replies
35
Views
3K
Husky Man
H
V
Homelite super 1050 back in my hands permanently.
Replies
0
Views
542
vintage_ridin
V
quahog
My woods aren't really healthy-I think one of solutions is some deliberate thinning
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
ATpro
ATpro
A
My version of a chainsaw mill
Replies
17
Views
4K
Lightning Performance
Lightning Performance
Dan hensley
MS 084 AV
2
Replies
22
Views
868
pioneerguy600
pioneerguy600

Latest posts

Back
Top