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Thread: killing beetles in wood

  1. #1
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    killing beetles in wood

    I have a piece of wood that I turned while it was green to make a candle holder about a year ago (about 10" high and 5" dia). Just today I got it down off the shelf in my shop and I think it has powder post beetles or something like that. I thought I read somewhere you can kill insects if you put the piece of wood in an oven (don't tell the wifey!) and heat to something like 130 degrees for x amount of time. I just looked in R Bruce Hoadley's book on Understanding Wood and nothing there on it (thought that's where I read it). Anybody know what temp will work and for how long. Randy

  2. #2
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    Don't know the temperature you need, but I believe the only way you can protect it from PBB in the future is to either put finish on it and/or bring it into the house...

  3. #3
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    I do not know the species you have in colder climates... for similar situation in a tropical country, our best option for small parts is to put the piece for a couple of weeks into the home freezer. Works great.

    Never had listen about the use of the oven. It could work but can be a little but dangerous IMO. Woods have some volatile oils and if it is finished, even more... most of them flammable...

  4. #4
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    USDA kiln operators specs call for heating the wood until all parts reach 133F. You do no need to hold it there once you achieve it.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scott T Smith View Post
    USDA kiln operators specs call for heating the wood until all parts reach 133F. You do no need to hold it there once you achieve it.
    Yes, and the time it takes to get the internal temperatures depends on the thickness of the wood. I've seen reports of 4 hours, and also of 6 hours. I also recently read a paper, posted elsewhere, that ash lumber that is to be transported out of it's sawn area, in order to be certified bug free, had to be held at that temperature for a much, much longer time. I think it was 17 hours, but I'm going on memory, so not entirely sure it's an accurate number.

    None of the lumber I cut would ever fit into the wife's oven, and there'd be hell to pay if I did it anyway.
    Jeff

  6. #6
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    Most kiln operators will set the kiln to 150 degrees F to get the core of each board to 133-135.

  7. #7
    I had a piece that made a beautiful top for a jewelry box that I suspected had some insect life in it since another piece from the same pile had some. I baked it in the oven at 130 for 2 hours and 3 years later all is well.

    I wonder how hot a car in full day summer sun gets. I thought of that later, but never did it.

  8. #8
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    a closed car in full mid day sun in summer gets hotter than that...

  9. #9
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    Actually I went ahead and gave it 3 coats of poly, but that wont kill any bugs because there are many deep cracks in the wood (I turned it green) so it is not really sealed.

  10. #10
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    Expert Gene Wengert said 130 degrees for six hours will kill any insect. But that temperature needs to reach the center of the wood which may require a heated environment of 160 deg or so to do it in a reasonable time for thicker wood. You can search the wood web for discussions and more specific guidelines or google for documents.

    PPBs can stay in the wood for a couple of years before they come out. A sure sign of an active infestation is fine frass below the holes.

    JKJ

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scott T Smith View Post
    USDA kiln operators specs call for heating the wood until all parts reach 133F. You do no need to hold it there once you achieve it.
    The standard for heat treatment calls for the temperature at the core of the piece of wood to reach 56c / 133f for 30 minutes. Environmental conditions, type of kiln, volume treated, wood species and dimensions of pieces will influence how long it takes to reach the temperature at the core of the wood pieces.

  12. #12
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    Is anyone aware of sites that help identify insect infestations?'

    I have a 4' walnut log that had ends painted with latex paint and then sat in stack for a year or two before I picked it up.
    There were some bugs under the bark (including some type of wasp).
    I noted a few holes in the ends -- are these something like PBB, termite, wasp, or some other organism? (or too hard to tell?)
    IMG_1735.jpgIMG_1735.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matthew Hills View Post
    Is anyone aware of sites that help identify insect infestations?'

    I have a 4' walnut log that had ends painted with latex paint and then sat in stack for a year or two before I picked it up.
    There were some bugs under the bark (including some type of wasp).
    I noted a few holes in the ends -- are these something like PBB, termite, wasp, or some other organism? (or too hard to tell?)
    Holes from powder post beetles make very small holes and they have powder-fine "frass" below them. The adult insect lays eggs on the wood surface and the hole is made a year or so later when the new insect emerges. There are lots of other insects that make holes in wood, such as carpenter bees which make large holes, nesting but not infesting. There is a lot of info on the web about ID and treatment. A quick search gave me this at the top (https://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/A3093.pdf) but there are lots of better sites with good photographs of the holes and the insects

    BTW, that log looks pretty far gone - the cracks may extend deep. Unfortunately, latex paint is not a good sealer. Several coats of oil-based paint is better. Even better is a coat of AnchorSeal or other green wood sealer, basically paraffin in a water emulsion.

    JKJ

  14. #14
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    I suspect a finish coat seals out air so the bugs suffocate. I wonder if putting the wood in a bucket full of CO2 or any inert gas would suffocate the bugs. You would have to wait a long time. No idea how hibernating eggs might last. Perhaps a pressure cooker.
    Bill D.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Heath View Post
    Yes, and the time it takes to get the internal temperatures depends on the thickness of the wood. I've seen reports of 4 hours, and also of 6 hours. I also recently read a paper, posted elsewhere, that ash lumber that is to be transported out of it's sawn area, in order to be certified bug free, had to be held at that temperature for a much, much longer time. I think it was 17 hours, but I'm going on memory, so not entirely sure it's an accurate number.

    None of the lumber I cut would ever fit into the wife's oven, and there'd be hell to pay if I did it anyway.
    Great response Jeff. Additionally, the MC% of the wood also plays a role. Higher MC% will take longer to reach 133 versus wood that is more dry.

    One of my USDA manuals shows the time required based upon MC%, wet bulb and dry bulb temps. It's interesting.

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