Little critters (woodworm) wandering around bar top! Advice on treatment needed!

[Rob D]

The bar I made here http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/alaskan-mill/36856-bar-top.html has suddenly (over the course of a week) sprouted approx 200 exit holes. It was a well seasoned piece of oak 2.5 years old.

 

I went in this morning and caught a couple of beetles and thankfully they seem to be Lyctus Brunneus. I say thankfully as from reading they only live in the sapwood of hardwoods. As the starch runs out in the sapwood they then can't feed anymore. They don't invade softwood or old hardwood.

 

But as pointed out to me it's a little unsightly to have them walking about on the bar and I think some of the larvae have also made an appearance.

 

 

Can anyone give any advice on how to treat and types of treatment. I was thinking of going round and injecting the exit holes then retreating the top. But what do I use?

[twmarriott]

its also known as ambrosia beetle, it has a two year cycle, first into the cambium, 2nd into the rest, if its dry it will cycle fly /go and thats it. if its kept damp it'll go for another year at least.

what you look to have is first stage so it will fly provided its kept dry that will be it, you can paint / spray sovereign or similar on it but not much point.

it will also live in down timber not sawn (not dry enough) i had 12 or so large oak butts that would make joinery grade, sadly not enought time to plank, so now like swiss cheese, not enough to structurally effect but enough to fu*k up the joinery premium.

still live and learn, i now plank nearly straight away as once the surface is dry its too hard for it, so will only get as far as cambium level.

[Rob D]

Thanks for that

[slack ma girdle]

Lighter fluid works well (petrol one). The nozzle is excatly the right size for the hole, and you can give a satisfying squirt. It does not stain and only smells for a short time.

[tommer9]

There is a clear odlourless treatment called Cromar that will kill everything Rob. Once it has dried/ soaked in you would never know the wood had been treated. It works on all these boring insects, and even on dry rot!

[Rob D]

Nice - will the lighter fluid permeate the wood and give any long lasting effect? I could almost enjoy applying that!

 

Cromar - cheers Tom have ordered some!

[TrollSpiel]

different beetles have different cycles, some of them very long.

 

but the upshot is, soon as they think it is spring, they start munching their way out

 

you can use wykabor (i have a few kg, can post you some) sovereigns Sovaq or even Barrentines pyrethrin based products.

[Rob D]

Cheers for the offer but have ordered 5 litres of Toms stuff.... also going to get some syringes for injecting it into the wood.