OT - killing woodworn in fresh sawn white oak for trailer boards.

[Overland]

Well my title kinda says it.
When I got the logs I didn't realize how bad the worms were.
So I need to spray something on the boards to kill the darned things.
I read somewhere that "permethrin" is recommended, then a supplier said its no go for what I need.
Does anyone have any experience or recommendations, please ?
Bob

 

[henrya]

If you have the wood kiln dried, heat treatment will be part of the drying schedule. All the bugs, larvae and eggs will be dead and the wood will be dry.

 

[Sparky45]

So are these the big white worms with a large yellowish head? If these, they do a "tree"mendous amount of damage. Heavy infestation, you might consider firewood.

 

[Bill D]

Soak in borax and water.

 

[GregSY]

Must have gotten the wood for free if you're using it for a trailer....

 

[richard newman]

So are these the big white worms with a large yellowish head? If these, they do a "tree"mendous amount of damage. Heavy infestation, you might consider firewood.View attachment 370870

Damn, looked at this while eating lunch, ruined my appetite!

 

[richard newman]

Have the logs been sawn yet? Some of the bugs are only interested in the sapwood.

Heat treating works well, anyone with a kiln should know all about this stuff

 

[trevj]

Damn, looked at this while eating lunch, ruined my appetite!

Really?

All it done for me was make me think about Ice Fishing! Best bait ever! And, you don't have to keep them warm in your mouth, like you do with maggots, to keep them wiggling! LOL!

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

I have a sneaky suspicion that a 50/50 mix of gasoline and used motor oil, mopped on generously would kill them, but you might want to put a "No Smoking" sign on the trailer.

 

[Scottl]

Get some Boron powder and make up a solution per the directions.

Spray it on with an agricultural sprayer and then "tent" the logs with tarps so the fumes stay in and help kill where the liquid doesn't reach.

Remove the tarps after a day or two and let the wood dry. Repeat treatment in any areas with survivors.

 

[72bwhite]

Trev you are a bad man

heat really is the go to method
microwave
the problem with poisons is the wood has to be saturated, so the wood becomes toxic
seriously talk to exterminators who do microwave

 

[henrya]

Yeah and you don’t want to be sawing or planing wood you poisoned. Jeeeeshh.….

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

If they are like most grub worms, its a beetle that lays eggs in the wood, the eggs hatch into worms that live in the wood for a time, then turn into beetles that crawl or fly off to start the process over again. So does anyone know what type of grub/beetle we are looking at? Might make a difference on how best to poison them. I see grubs like the one pictured in my firewood when splitting it, they are pine bark beetle grubs, and a splash of gasoline kills them, with current price of gas I might try a mister.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

You might?

You might also run into the phenomenon wherein movement of flammable hydrocarbons generates static electricity?

Which could lead to your curing the vermin problem in much the same way a fatal heart-attack cures the hiccups?

And I could get hit by an asteroid, or a falling piece of space junk, or a car, maybe even an angry cow, but right now the odds are best for being crushed by a leaning brick wall. Lifes a bitch!

 

[Overland]

Wow, 18 responses in 4 hours.
Thanks guys !
I read about Borax, but mixed reviews.
Don't know of a kiln around here.
I remember my father-in-law, back in UK used to apply kerosene on old furniture he bought that had worms in it. Used to be cheaper than gasoline !
I'll post a pic tomorrow, not the bugs cause they're buried deep, but the little holes.
Bob

 

[NRDock]

I have a sneaky suspicion that a 50/50 mix of gasoline and used motor oil, mopped on generously would kill them, but you might want to put a "No Smoking" sign on the trailer.

A buddy stained his shed with used motor oil, and it looked a lot like walnut, so there's the aesthetic benefit.

 

[henrya]

There is timber industry in your area. Look for sawmills. They will know who can dry your wood. There‘s also the guys who do custom sawing with portable bandsaw mills. Ask them for suggestions.

 

[Rocketdc]

As mentioned, heat is the only way to guarantee that you kill all the bugs and larvae. The key number is getting the core of the wood to 133 degrees. I've been turning some large 18"-30" diameter white oak spheres that have powder post beetles and termites inside and I can't risk selling them unless I know the bugs are dead. I built a kiln out of angle iron and rock wool using a propane burner for heat. Works well enough that I can get the core temperature of a 24" sphere up to 133 in under 8 hrs.

 

[JoeE.]

I've split a lot of oak for firewood and if it's been cut down a while.... to where the bark's falling off.... those worms are sure to be under there...

 

[JST]

There is a shipping spec for pallets etc used in international commerce. Wood for that is supposed to be stamped.

IIRC the spec calls for a simple heat treatment.

Only problem with DIY is that trailer boards tend to be longish. Harder to cobble up an oven for long stuff.