Hedge

[Brett Leinmiller]

After returning from my deer hunting trip, I'm going stave hunting. I've been cutting hedge for firewood for 20 years or so. When letting it set between winters, we often find it covered in a very fine wood dust. Do you run into these little insects often with your staves? What do you do about them? I'd really appreciate any other tips on stave storage you could share. Thanks everyone.

[mikkekeswick]

Spray it will insecticide. It's best to cut the wood, split into staves and remove sapwood. Seal the backs very well (I use pva glue) and then set aside in the rafters somewhere.

[scrub-buster]

Mr. Swick is right.  If you remove the bark and sapwood you won't have any problems with the wood borers.  Seal the ends and back with several coats of polyurethane, shellac, glue, paint, etc.  I've tried to spray them with insecticide and I still got borers in the staves.

[KellyG]

Heck and if you are lazy like me you just hope they don't go to far down which they usually don't and let them season with the bark on. Most don't recommend this route but I have not lost a stave yet. I do have to chase a bit deeper on rings some times.

[Eric Krewson]

The very fine wood dust is probably from powder post beetles. They go in the top of the log and out the bottom, unlike wood wasp larva that generally stay in the sapwood and the first ring or two.

If you have powder post beetles you have to spray insecticide or get the bark and sapwood off.

Insecticide won't deter them for more than a month or two so removing the bark and sapwood is the best way to go.

Like I said, powder post beetles go deep, here is a red oak log I split to show the damage;

 

[Mad Max]

spray with diesel fuel

[Eric Krewson]

I have heard diesel fuel works well but I haven't tried it myself.

[Mad Max]

Big box store insecticide don't work any more.
They are afraid someone will get poisoned.
diesel has oil, it should hang in there

[Brett Leinmiller]

Thanks for the replies. I intend to do laminated bows as well. Incectiside or diesel will undoubtedly effect finish and bonding if the treated pieces aren't cut oversize. It seems that I could green cut a log down for riser material to speed the seasoning process. Say I want a 3x3x24 inch piece. Would it be safe to cut it 4x4x26 and spray it? Just curious how far this stuff soaks in.

[David Flanrey]

Brett, if you have a way to cut up your log, just slab it up and stack it up in your shop with some stickers in between layers.  Bugs shouldn't bother it so much.  That is what I do.  I use malathion spray.

If not, do what Eric said and get that bark and all the sapwood off and spray with insect spray.  Should do the trick.