Help ID THIS BUG Swarming in garage with 3.5 cords of firewood

[RCR 3 EVER]

We have had our fireplace for nearly 8 years now and have always stored our seasoned 3.5 cords of firewood in attached 20'x40' garage for easy access during winter. We usually stack the wood in fall for that winter burn. With my back condition I have had to purchase wood and scrounge wood from neighbor and friends.

Last season and previous season our mild winter temperatures resulted in us not burning up the firewood as we normally do, so we had a substantial amount of wood left over into the summer months. Now the problem. I think we have a major hatch of borer bugs flying in the garage. Some of the wood showed signs of tunneling but normally we burn the wood so it has NEVER created a problem. If these are borers no pest company will spray firewood nor do they set off bombs anymore.

I have enclosed a photo of bug low quality sorry but hopefully somebody can ID the thing.

I set up one of those electric bug zappers we never used from decades ago and it is working on the flying insects but garage smells of smoked bugs.

I hope we do NOT have to unload the stack to outside for many reasons, not much room to store 3.5 cords along with 3 cords we have seasoning outside already.
I am physically unable to move that much wood in timely fashion and restock it. Disturbing the bugs may also make problem worse and spread bugs to outsidetrees.

Can we just keep the zapper going and burn the wood this winter to get rid of pests. The pest control people said the bugs do not usually go for the processed wood like 2x4's and plywood etc.

 

[Zale]

Keep the bug zapper going and burn it this winter. You don't need to move it.

 

[sledge&wedge]

We have had our fireplace for nearly 8 years now and have always stored our seasoned 3.5 cords of firewood in attached 20'x40' garage for easy access during winter. We usually stack the wood in fall for that winter burn. With my back condition I have had to purchase wood and scrounge wood from neighbor and friends.

Last season and previous season our mild winter temperatures resulted in us not burning up the firewood as we normally do, so we had a substantial amount of wood left over into the summer months. Now the problem. I think we have a major hatch of borer bugs flying in the garage. Some of the wood showed signs of tunneling but normally we burn the wood so it has NEVER created a problem. If these are borers no pest company will spray firewood nor do they set off bombs anymore.

I have enclosed a photo of bug low quality sorry but hopefully somebody can ID the thing.

I set up one of those electric bug zappers we never used from decades ago and it is working on the flying insects but garage smells of smoked bugs.

I hope we do NOT have to unload the stack to outside for many reasons, not much room to store 3.5 cords along with 3 cords we have seasoning outside already.
I am physically unable to move that much wood in timely fashion and restock it. Disturbing the bugs may also make problem worse and spread bugs to outsidetrees.

Can we just keep the zapper going and burn the wood this winter to get rid of pests. The pest control people said the bugs do not usually go for the processed wood like 2x4's and plywood etc.

View attachment 506109 View attachment 506110 View attachment 506111

Can't tell exactly what color the back of that thing is, but it looks a hell of a lot like an emerald ash borer to me. Definitely a borer of some kind, regardless. I'd keep the bug zapper running, and would probably buy a couple boxes of bug bombs from the nearest big box store and light those mothers up. I don't know that they are susceptible to that kind of insecticide, but you owe it to your local tree population to spend $20 and try to kill them off now.

 

[Shagbark]

Emerald Ash borer

 

[Marine5068]

We have had our fireplace for nearly 8 years now and have always stored our seasoned 3.5 cords of firewood in attached 20'x40' garage for easy access during winter. We usually stack the wood in fall for that winter burn. With my back condition I have had to purchase wood and scrounge wood from neighbor and friends.

Last season and previous season our mild winter temperatures resulted in us not burning up the firewood as we normally do, so we had a substantial amount of wood left over into the summer months. Now the problem. I think we have a major hatch of borer bugs flying in the garage. Some of the wood showed signs of tunneling but normally we burn the wood so it has NEVER created a problem. If these are borers no pest company will spray firewood nor do they set off bombs anymore.

I have enclosed a photo of bug low quality sorry but hopefully somebody can ID the thing.

I set up one of those electric bug zappers we never used from decades ago and it is working on the flying insects but garage smells of smoked bugs.

I hope we do NOT have to unload the stack to outside for many reasons, not much room to store 3.5 cords along with 3 cords we have seasoning outside already.
I am physically unable to move that much wood in timely fashion and restock it. Disturbing the bugs may also make problem worse and spread bugs to outsidetrees.

Can we just keep the zapper going and burn the wood this winter to get rid of pests. The pest control people said the bugs do not usually go for the processed wood like 2x4's and plywood etc.

View attachment 506109 View attachment 506110 View attachment 506111

Looks like and Emerald Ash Borer beetle. How are they getting into your garage?
They were likely in the wood already when you got it. Most insects will not bore into dry, dead wood, unless its on the ground and that ground is earth, like carpenter ants and termites.
Make sure you keep your wood off the floor to keep air flowing under and around it and keep crawling insects from using it as a home and try not to store it inside anywhere until it's good and seasoned, like one or two years split and stacked. Do not transport Ash any distance away from it's source to keep the EAB from spreading.
Best way would be to put new wood under and roof structure with open(ish) sides outside.
Then move it inside off the floor of garage after one or two years.
That's why you always here of us on here staying one or two years ahead with our firewood.

 

[Hinerman]

EAB for sure imo:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=emerald+ash+borer&FORM=AWIR

 

[lone wolf]

Is this it? http://pest.ceris.purdue.edu/pest.php?code=INALQPA

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

Thanks for the replies and help, here are a couple of better images. The bug zapper is doing great although the garage reeks of dead burnt bugs. We placed a garbage can beneath the zapper to catch debris and any bugs still crawling. We put soapy water in the bottom to kill them off. Anybody interested in bug soup or bug brownies? There is a thick layer of dead bugs in bottom of can several layers of dead bugs deep.

The bugs were on everything in the garage; walls, boxes, vehicles, floor and ceiling as well as the wood. Now the walls and window are clear of the bugs and there are very few flying around. Last night the zapper was zapping them every few seconds now it is every few minutes. A big dent in population.

Since it looks like elm borer we just picked up some dead elm from neighbor 1/8 mile away that cut down his tree almost a year ago. It split terrible even with our new 34 ton splitter. All the elms on our street are dead!

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

I looked at images of emerald ash borer and they seem to have short antennae . our bugs have very long antennae and distinctive orange necks. Maybe a Tanbark borer?
It looks like it comes in on firewood and we just have to let it run its' course. Hope it is a very very cold winter so we can the wood up.

 

[WoodTick007]

Call the company you bought the wood from. . .tell them they sold you infested wood and to come get it and bring back your $$$

 

[lone wolf]

Call the company you bought the wood from. . .tell them they sold you infested wood and to come get it and bring back your $$$

And let us know how that goes.Actually if the OP goes to the County agricultural agent they could identify the insect.

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

And let us know how that goes.Actually if the OP goes to the County agricultural agent they could identify the insect.

I will try to get definite id on bug. but as to which wood is culprit? in the pile there is 1.5 cords from 3 bought sources, 1 cord from us collected from neighbor cut trees, and some from our trees on our house and some from our property at cabin.

 

[TimberWolf530]

I think it's a cereal leaf beetle. They feed on wheat, oats, and corn. Do you live by, or did you buy the wood from an area near a crop field? They will hibernate under the bark of dead trees, then come out when it gets warm (or when they're moved into a warm garage) to mate.

 

[Huskybill]

Ash borer to me. Maybe long distance communications long antenna? Lol. But I had one land on my arm.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Thats not EAB. EAB went through MI almost a decade ago. There aren't enough mature Ash trees on the rebound to support a population.

OP, what type of wood is in the garage? Ive got a stash of hickory here at the homestead that borers/beetles went nuts on.... But they ran their cycle and the sapwood has dried up. So I shouldn't see a resurgence...

You can run the zapper, but they prefer soft, moist sapwood while tunneling. They go through their transformation and then fly away.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I will try to get definite id on bug. but as to which wood is culprit? in the pile there is 1.5 cords from 3 bought sources, 1 cord from us collected from neighbor cut trees, and some from our trees on our house and some from our property at cabin.

Is the wood barkless and look like something has been tunneling just under the bark?

 

[muddstopper]

Ash borer to me. Maybe long distance communications long antenna? Lol. But I had one land on my arm.

UH, two year old thread, but since you brought it back up, Did anybody figure out what kind of bug it is.