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Ants in lumber

I'd like to think I'm a woodturner, but actually it's more like a wood-hoarder -- I buy some good looking blanks and set them aside for "when I have time". Right now my time at work keeps me from doing much lathe work.

Today I cut down a dead citrus tree. The smaller pieces went into the burn pit, but there were several that were large enough to save. I've seen some nice citrus turnings at the Palm Beach turners exhibition. But when I took a close look at the tree sections they were infested with very tiny ants -- I don't think they were termites, but I'm not an expert. I don't want to bring those into the garage with the other wood until I've gotten rid of the insects. The pieces are too big to put in the freezer, so I'd like to know if there is a specific solution that they can be immersed in to kill off the insects and preserve their potential for being made into coasters, small bowls, etc.-- or do I just spray them with an insecticide?

Reply to
JimR
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if you put them under water for a few days, any insects will drown.

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Reply to
William Noble

A boric acid solution is toxic to insects, but very low toxcity to humans. You could use ant traps.

Reply to
Phisherman

Wipe the logs down with mineral spirits.

Reply to
Phisherman

Take the bark off them. The ants are likely between bark and wood.

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

Are they really ants ? - small wood borers are likely.

I cut down a Honey Locust - dislike the over population of thorns across the ground... It was infected with wood borers. The logs (two for turning) and a long thin one. The beetles moved in and dumped a lot of wood chewings. I spotted the piles in the shop. I dumped them outside - and fire ants took over and ate the beetles. They seem to be starving now - having eaten ticks and lots of ground bugs. Hives are dying.

That is the good news.

As for yours - put it in a trash bag and put in a flea bomb. (all outside...).

Or if you have a work shed - put it in there and bomb the shed! Just like killing fleas in a house - it will gas your guests. And if in a small shed - might gas some unwanted guests.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal. NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.

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JimR wrote:

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Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

I haven't tried it, but several folks have told me that (size permitting) putting the wood/bowl blank in a plastic trash bag with a few moth balls works well.. YMMV

mac

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Reply to
mac davis

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