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Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 11/23/2009 10:07 AM Updated by: thepinetree on 11/23/2009 11:02 AM
Expires: 01/01/2014 12:00 AM
:

Firewood Log Insects~by Ken Churches

Hundreds of insect species potentially can inhabit the wood of our native and ornamental trees. However, the great majority of cases involve a few basic groups: roundheaded and flatheaded wood borers; bark beetles; carpenter ants; and powderpost beetles. With few exceptions insects found within California firewood will not survive indoors and are only capable of infesting well-dried logs with intact bark. The primary problems with firewood insects involve a few species of bark beetles that can develop in firewood and later infest ......

healthy trees. By far, the most important of these insects is the mountain pin beetle, which kills large numbers of trees (primarily ponderosa pine) in natural forest areas. Elm bark beetles and rarely, Ips beetles also may threaten healthy trees after emerging from firewood. Simple precautions can prevent injury by these firewood insects.

Firewood insects do not normally pose any hazards to humans, household furnishings, or plants. This is particularly true for the wood borers, the most conspicuous group of firewood insects. It is hard to witness the activity of borers without feeling a need to take action, but in reality borers speed up the drying process and promote better burning.

Problems with firewood insects emerging in the home are best handled by storing firewood outdoors until needed. Outdoor storage will greatly slow insect development during the winter and limit the opportunity of insects to emerge inside a home. The occasional insects that do manage to emerge indoors can be controlled by vacuuming.

Storing wood in a manner that accelerates drying also is important in limiting firewood insect infestations. Stack wood so that air readily flows through the pile. Well-dried wood will not invite bark beetle attack, and the drying process can kill many developing bark beetle larvae if already present in the wood. When collected firewood is known to harbor mountain pine beetle or other undesirable species, the best option is to burn the wood before adult beetles begin to emerge in mid-July; elm bark beetles emerge from elm logs in mid-May.

To avoid wood infested by these insects, choose trees for cutting that have been dried for at least one year or that have noticeably loose bark. If log piles are small and located in a sunny area firewood insects can be killed by covering the pie with a clear plastic tarp. The high temperatures produced will kill many insects inside the wood. Control of insects in logs at the pile’s top may exceed 50 percent, but insects in lower logs generally are not affected. A more difficult, but highly effective means of killing most firewood insects is to remove the bark. Debarking also will prevent reinfestation and speeds drying.

Please contact the Farm Advisor’s office at cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu or 754-6477 with your agricultural questions.


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