Bugs in Birch?

[Tim and Stephanie Stowe]

Hi, all!

I'm making a card catalog thing for my mom out of a birch log, bark (mostly) intact. The woodworking part is pretty easy - just remove all the wood that isn't a card catalog. The concern at this point is that the log, gathered by yours truly from the back forty with a two-man crosscut saw, wasn't standing - it was already down. I'm worried about creepy-crawlies infesting the library from my jazzy-lookin' hunk of wood. Any thoughts?

I've considered freezing it and/or baking it (but it'd be hard - most ovens won't take a four-foot log) but I'm worried about losing the bark, which is the point of this whole endeavor. Some kind of chemical treatment?

-Tim

[bridger]

call around and see if an exterminator in your area will treat it for you.

[George]

Grubs no problem. They turn into flying bugs and seek better chow for the offspring they hope to have. Ants or termites, if you're in termite territory, will vacate or croak if you tent and put some strong ammonia inside with the log.