Burning hickory

[stihlguy]

Love burning it, but between the fine saw dust, the painted hickory borer insect and the spiders that have invaded my basement, I'm having second thoughts. Unfortunately, I have about 5 rows of rounds, 25' long 5' high that need to be split. Maybe I'll split and sell it!!!!

 

[svk]

Maybe set off a few bug bombs in your basement?

 

[merc_man]

What do the bugs look like. I burn a fair bit of hickory when its real cold out.

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[tnichols]

We burn some Hickory, but have never had bug problems in our neck of the woods with that species. I do spray a general insecticide (Tempo) over our stacks during the summer months which are indoors. Honestly can't verify that it's making a difference. It does help with spiders for sure.

 

[JeffHK454]

That's why I don't put any wood in my house..Hickory or anything else.

Mess and bugs belong outdide...if I had the money the burner would be out there too.

 

[mga]

I've found some large yellow jackets sleeping in the wood pile now and then. not sure if they are queens or not because they are big. once I had one in the house, I guess the warmth must have woke it up and the wife went nuts...lol

so, now I usually check the logs before bringing them in. I find many of those flat stink bugs sleeping on the logs. nothing comes easy.

 

[alleyyooper]

Any yellow jacket North Of the Mason Dixon line this time of year is a hibernating queen.

Now were it me and I was burning shag bark hickory I would not store it in the house, I would just bring in enough to fill the wood burner and that is all. Even if it were a long ways to the wood shed I would leave it outside till the wood burner needed filling. Cover it tempory till needed.

Al

 

[mga]

Any yellow jacket North Of the Mason Dixon line this time of year is a hibernating queen.

had a huge nest made from those large black and white hornets in the arborvitaes. I was going to wait until winter to remove it and keep it, but some thing got into it and ripped it apart.

I notice that some ground hornet's nests get tore up during the night and the nests are ripped apart. I thought maybe a skunk was doing it?

 

[sirbuildalot]

The white faced wasps are nasty. I'd put them as the most aggressive, then yellow jackets, then hornets. They made a large paper nest about 15' up in a tree a couple years ago. Me and my son shot a potato through it at about 300 fps. Tore it all apart. They had it rebuilt in a few days.

 

[stumpy75]

had a huge nest made from those large black and white hornets in the arborvitaes. I was going to wait until winter to remove it and keep it, but some thing got into it and ripped it apart.

I notice that some ground hornet's nests get tore up during the night and the nests are ripped apart. I thought maybe a skunk was doing it?

More than likely a skunk.

They try to get into honeybee hives occasionally too. I had to put a skunk guard on a hive once... It's a guard on the hive entrance that makes the skunk stand on it's hind legs when trying to get to the bees and make it's stomach more vulnerable to the stings. The bees know what to do once the stomach is exposed. Three nights of stink, and the skunk gave up!

 

[tnichols]

I should have clarified in my post above. I said that our wood stacks are "indoors". I should have said under roof. All of our stacks are in a barn. Only wood in the house is in one of those canvas wood carriers, maybe 4-6 hours worth, or, it's on fire !

 

[SS396driver]

At least it was cold when I cut it . Didn't get stung called a local bee keeper he took care if it for me. I stack my winter wood in my basement. Never had bugs. As far as I've heard bugs really don't like dry wood they prefer moist

 

[alleyyooper]

This is a nest of the bald face hornet, they die as soon as it gets cold in the fall usually by the first hard frost. the queens in this case also hibernate just like the yellow jackets.



If the nest is in the ground it is usually a skunk or a possum. the bald face hornets nest lots of time still have larva in them and birds go after them.

Al

 

[svk]

Those bald faced ones are actually very beneficial insects to the ecosystem but when they sting you it's like a red hot pickaroon.

 

[stihlguy]

What do the bugs look like. I burn a fair bit of hickory when its real cold out.

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Google "painted hickory borer" very similar to another type(can't think of it). They usually come out in April-May, but when in a warm basement, they come out in Jan-Feb. My son-in-law is one of the largest organic farmers in NYS, so insecticides are out of the question. I just step on them as I see them. They will not harm the house structure.

 

[mga]

Google "painted hickory borer" very similar to another type(can't think of it). They usually come out in April-May, but when in a warm basement, they come out in Jan-Feb. My son-in-law is one of the largest organic farmers in NYS, so insecticides are out of the question. I just step on them as I see them. They will not harm the house structure.

like this guy?

 

[stihlguy]

Yep, that's the one. I have burned hickory at times over the last 40 yrs., but have never had insects before.

 

[CaseyForrest]

At least it was cold when I cut it . Didn't get stung called a local bee keeper he took care if it for me. I stack my winter wood in my basement. Never had bugs. As far as I've heard bugs really don't like dry wood they prefer moist

Found a similar hive in a shagbark last week. Didnt think to get pictures but I did slice up the trunk to see just how big it was... About 4' long, 2' diameter. It was a dandy.

 

[merc_man]

Heres a peace of hickory from the wood pile. The bark just fell off. Looks like the same way ash does when the borer goes through. This hockory was a good live tree when i cut it so the bug did this in my wood pile.

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[stihlguy]

Put another row of hickory in the basement this AM and only a few pieces had the bore holes in them. It states that they only bother trees that are dying, so hopefully I'm done with the bugs.