Strange question - termites/insects in cedar furniture?

[DNelson]

I couldn't decide where to post this question, but thought one of you woodworkers might know an answer to my problem. I recently bought some rustic cedar furniture hand made in Mexico. Tonight I noticed a small pile of sawdust at the bottom of one barstool leg (about 1 teaspoon). There are holes in the leg and they vary in diameter from about the size of a mechanical pencil lead to about 1/8 inch. Any idea what may be boring around in there and how I might kill them? The cedar is natural with only a wax finish.

Thanks in advance, Dwayne

[Preston Andreas]

These could be boring or powderpost beetles. Be careful. I know of one situation where the beetles got into the wood floor and other furniture. The house had to be covered and fumigated.

[DNelson]

Thanks guys! I used your info and did some web surfing and decided you were right. From what I read it appears I have a little problem with the Powderpost beetle. One treatment was to put the furniture piece in a freezer for at least 48 hours. I just need to find a buddy with a large chest freezer, some space in there, and an understanding wife! Thanks again

[Lew Hodgett]

No freezer, consider the following:

Build an enclosure around the furniture using 4'x8' insulating foam sheets.

Find the local ice cream street vendor and buy 5 lbs of dry ice (frozen CO2).

Be careful how you handle it, you can freeze a body part if you are not careful.

Put the dry ice inside the foam enclosure and tape the seams shut.

If the beetles don't die from the cold, the certainly will from lack of oxygen as the dry ice turns to CO2 gas.

Good luck.

HTH

[Brian Youn]

Hi Dwayne,

Sounds exactly like the borer beetles we have here in NZ. Plagiarized from a website

*****************The common borer attacks only seasoned timber, and damage is usually confined to sapwood. It is not uncommon for borer damage to cause collapse of flooring or floor joists. This borer has a four stage life cycle as follows:-

Adults: Small brownish beetle, 2.5-5.0mm long, recognisable by the head shaped like a hood. Adult borer emerge between November and March and live for about one month. Adult borer do not feed, they only reproduce.

Eggs: Females lay their eggs in wood cracks and crevices or in old exit holes.

Larvae: The eggs hatch in about three weeks. Each egg produces a larvae, which is C-shaped, creamy white with a brown head, about 7mm long. The larvae bore at random in the timber, coming nearer to the surface when ready to pupate.

Pupae: After some three to four years as a larvae, the insect is ready to pupate. A small chamber is excavated just below the surface of the timber in which to pupate. Pupation lasts four to eight weeks. While in this stage the insect changes in form to an adult. The adult now emerges from the wood, leaving a small round hole about 1.0-1.5mm in diameter. This is accompanied by dust and is often the first indication of borer.

******************

Your problem may be a relative of this beast.

Cheers, Brian.

I couldn't decide where to post this question, but thought one of you woodworkers might know an answer to my problem. I recently bought some rustic cedar furniture hand made in Mexico. Tonight I noticed a small pile of sawdust at the bottom of one barstool leg (about 1 teaspoon). There are holes in the leg and they vary in diameter from about the size of a mechanical pencil lead to about 1/8 inch. Any idea what may be boring around in there and how I might kill them? The cedar is natural with only a wax finish.

Thanks in advance, Dwayne

[Charlie Spitzer]

you can buy dry ice in the large grocery stores around here

regards, charlie cave creek, az