Grubs

[RogerS]

I feel a bit like Corporal Jones running around saying 'Don't panic...don't panic'.

Just been rearranging my wood in stick and noticed that under the bark of some of the oak planks are some live grubs..about 1/2" long..looking a bit like maggots.

I'm going to trim off the bark and burn it but what about the rest?

The wood pile is inside my workshop.

Do I :-

a) start sobbing as all the pile is infested and I need to burn the lot
b) breath a sigh of relief that I've caught them in time
c) ????????

HELP !!!!!!!!!

 

[CHJ]

Roger if you only found grubs and no beatles I would think you are ok from now on.

Did you import the wood recently?

I inherited a whole colony of "Large (13mm)Beatles" together with their grubs in some wood from 'interesting timber' some of the grubs (magots on steroids) had penetrated several cm into the wood.

Sprayed all the 'bark on' edges of the wood with low residual garden insecticide and when most activity had ceased did what you did and burned the bark and checked for lurkers in the stock. Never had any sign of re-infestation from dormant eggs.

 

[RogerS]

Thanks Chas...that's a bit more reassuring. Mmmm...when did I buy the stuff ..earlier on this year IIRC. Have just found flight holes in some of the other bark......b****r. The holes left by the grubs are much larger ...about 1/8" dia.

 

[CHJ]

...snip.. The holes left by the grubs are much larger ...about 1/8" dia.

Yep that sounds like the B-------, Some of my inheritance were more like 3/16" dia. never did identify which species, long slender gold and brown bodies with impressive antennae, running in and out of a whole network of disgustingly impressive caverns hidden in the reticulate bark on the slab

I had seen a carpet of these critters 'milling' (sorry) about in the saw mill debris but had not spotted them lying low in the slab I bought until it was isolated in the quiet and warmth of the workshop.

 

[Scrums]

I've had their relatives living with me too - I think it's a hazard of buying in green and/or air dried timber.

Nowadays I strip any bark from waney edge boards before I store them, give the boards a good look over and then keep my fingers crossed.

Chris.

 

[RogerS]

I've had their relatives living with me too - I think it's a hazard of buying in green and/or air dried timber.

Nowadays I strip any bark from waney edge boards before I store them, give the boards a good look over and then keep my fingers crossed.

Chris.

Yup..that's what I'll do in future but I had read somewhere to keep the bark on as long as possible so that the drying out took place gradually. Catch-22.

Do you cut your boards square or do you chisel the bark off?

 

[mel]

roger
you could give all those oak planks to me and let me worry about it :lol:
PM me ill send you my address and you can deliver as well :lol:

this is the simple answer to you problem

alternativley , you have done the right thing , they have got to hatch out somewhere
the americans pay well over the odds for that added character that wood worm leaves behind "gratis"
there are plenty of chemical treatments nowadays for such a problem
my grandad treated our house, some 40yrs ago with what was considered the only treatment in the day . creosote and parrafin mixed 50/50
that stopped the blitters , and we went to school stinking like a newly treated fence panel :lol:

mel

 

[RogerS]

creosote and parrafin mixed 50/50

Mmm..the workshop (appropriated by me) is made out of oak frame. The oak has developed a beautiful light grey patina and I can just see SWMBO's face if I cover it with anything. But the little b****rs have gone somewhere presumably. Probably inside my ash pile or softwood stock.

 

[Scrums]

Mostly I square the boards up as much as possible, makes stacking easier and takes up less room. Any bark left I chisel off and then wire brush.

Chris.