Texan Bugs

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Ron in Drums PA

Ron in Drums PA

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Jan 27, 2005
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Drums, PA, USA.
Early August, about two years ago a friend from Texas sent me a mesquite crotch.

I noticed some worm holes, so I placed the log into a black plastic bag, sprayed some insecticide into the bag, closed the bag tight and then it sat in the full sun on my blacktop driveway.

About in the middle of August we had a heat wave where temperatures stayed in the upper 90s for better than two weeks. I bet it was hotter inside that bag.

The log sat the through the fall and into the holidays. January we had a cold spell where the temperatures hovered around zero for about a week.

Finally in February, with the log still frozen solid, I took my chainsaw and cut the log in half. I rounded the blank on the bandsaw then mounted the blank on my lathe.

I was in the early stages of rounding the blank when SPALT! Two juicy bugs hit my face shield! I stoped the lathe and sure enough there was another bugger still alive.

You Texans sure raise some tough bugs!!!

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Those are powder post beetle larve. Quite hardy critters. They hatch in the sapwood or just under the bark and the larve eat into the log and travel inwards as the log dries...to stay in moist wood. I remove sapwood from my turning stock and that seems to eleminate the problem. But the holes do add some character to turnings. Wood dealers fumigate the logs to eleminate the bugs. On a warm summer day the chewing can be heard coming from a mesquite log pile. Small mounds of powder (sawdust) piles up on the ground. We Texas turners turn mesquite with our mouths open...good source of protein.[:D] Nice piece you did there, Ron. The wood is great. The bowl is great.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA
<br />Early August, about two years ago a friend from texas sent me a mesquite crotch.

I noticed some worm holes, so I placed the log into a black plastic bag, sprayed some insecticide into the bag, closed the bag nice and tight and it sit in the full sun on my blacktop driveway .

About in the middle of August we had a heat wave where temperatures stayed in the upper 90s for better than two weeks. I bet it was hotter inside that bag.

The log sat the through the fall and into the holidays. January we a cold spell where the temperatures hovered around zero for about a week.

Finally in February, with the log still frozen solid, I take my chainsaw and cut the log in half. I round the blank on my bandsaw then mounted the blank on my lathe.

I was in the early stages of rounding the blank when SPALT! Two juicy bugs hit my face shield! I stop the lathe and sure enough there was another bugger still alive.

You Texans sure raise some tough bugs!!!
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA
<br />Early August, about two years ago a friend from Texas sent me a mesquite crotch.

I noticed some worm holes, so I placed the log into a black plastic bag, sprayed some insecticide into the bag, closed the bag tight and then it sat in the full sun on my blacktop driveway.

About in the middle of August we had a <b>heat wave where temperatures stayed in the upper 90s for better than two weeks</b>. I bet it was hotter inside that bag.

The log sat the through the fall and into the holidays. January we had a cold spell where the temperatures hovered around zero for about a week.

Finally in February, with the log still frozen solid, I took my chainsaw and cut the log in half. I rounded the blank on the bandsaw then mounted the blank on my lathe.

I was in the early stages of rounding the blank when SPALT! Two juicy bugs hit my face shield! I stoped the lathe and sure enough there was another bugger still alive.

<b>You Texans sure raise some tough bugs!!!</b>
Click to expand...

LOL...you call that a heat wave! The bugs probably are very comfy inside! [}:)] FYI it is only spring and we already had a day that reached a 100 [V]

Kidding aside, with my experience, the bugs usually die within 2 weeks given same treatment. The bugs actually die as they emerge out of the log...and that stops the cycle. Maybe your cooler temps had them "hibernate" instead?

As Don mentioned, removing the sapwood helps a lot...but I haven't done that much myself.

For the record...I hate those bugs!!! [:(!]
 
<b>Frank:</b> Since then I've placed bowl blanks in a tub of DNA. Those buggers now die with a smile on thier faces!

<b>Dario:</b> I know the temps are not hot compared to other places, but 98 degress with 98% humidity is a killer around here. But then I wear shorts outside when it's in the 30s. It's all waht you are use to I guess.

<b>Hank: </b>I save all the scrap for the BBQ!
 
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