# Grapewood bugs?



## Boss Frog (Nov 13, 2012)

I recently purchased some grapewood, and I set on my shelf for future use and I noticed a pile of real fine sawdust by it.So I cleaned it up and I knocked it a couple of times and a pile of sawdust came out, no big deal, figure its from when they cut it. Well went and looked on shelf, lo and behold another little pile of sawdust. What is going on, should I discard it, I put it in a zip lock bag in case it is critters causing that.


----------



## jakemestre (Nov 3, 2009)

That sounds exactly like beetle larvae in there eating the wood and making sawdust. You'll need to get rid of the bugs before it goes in the tank. Maybe boil the wood? Or a Carbon Monoxide dosing in an air tight plastic bag. Whatever you pick as the easiest course of action you'll want to do it several times to kill any eggs that are still in the wood. For obvious reasons you probably don't want to spray any insecticides on it though. The beetles probably aren't bad to have in the micro ecosystem, but you don't want to breed them inside your wood house. I'm no expert though.


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

If they are powder post beetles, you really don't want them in the house. 

Ed


----------



## ICS523 (Mar 10, 2012)

BOIL THEM!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
seriously though boiling is probably easiest way to kill the little buggers.


----------



## Boss Frog (Nov 13, 2012)

I put the wood in the sink with water, and sure enough, there was grubs in it.OK next question, I bought from a vendor on this board, is this normal or should I contact them for refund or another piece? Don't want to post yet.


----------



## Meow Kitty (Dec 1, 2012)

whenever i get new wood if its oustide or from a vendor i put it in a bag and flash freeze it in my large freezer this kills any burrowing beatles,grubs ect. i wouldn't be mad at the guy who sold it to you its not like he meant to and probably didn't notice the signs since I'm sure he had multiple pieces you should warn him about your finding


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Meow Kitty said:


> whenever i get new wood if its oustide or from a vendor i put it in a bag and flash freeze it in my large freezer this kills any burrowing beatles,grubs ect.


This is not an effective method to kill most grubs... For example, pieces of log freeze solid yet the beetle larva under the bark or in the wood do just fine right through the winter..... 

Some comments 

Ed


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

ICS523 said:


> BOIL THEM!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
> seriously though boiling is probably easiest way to kill the little buggers.


Boiling, baking etc only work if they are heated through the material which takes significant lengths of time.. It is totally possible to heat treat wood and not have it do anything at all see http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...d-interesting-quote-confusion.html#post673702 for example

Some comments 

Ed


----------



## Boss Frog (Nov 13, 2012)

Meow Kitty said:


> whenever i get new wood if its oustide or from a vendor i put it in a bag and flash freeze it in my large freezer this kills any burrowing beatles,grubs ect. i wouldn't be mad at the guy who sold it to you its not like he meant to and probably didn't notice the signs since I'm sure he had multiple pieces you should warn him about your finding


Not mad at him, i agree totally. Until I find out if they do anything about it


----------



## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

I would not say that it is unusual. I experienced it twice myself with grape wood. The first time was long before I was anal about disinfecting and sterilizing everything I put into my vivs. I noticed exactly what you observed, piles of sawdust in the viv. Eventually they stopped. Never saw any beetles, or larva. Havn't been back to the place I lived when that happened, but the house is still standing.

The next time that I noticed it was in the exact fashion that you did. It was standing on a shelf in my garage and noticed the saw dust. Baked the crap out of it (it was too big to boil all at once). Let it be for a few days to see if any more saw dust emerged. None did, but I baked the crap out of it again just to be sure. No issues. Its a good practice to do this to any decorative items you put in your vivs (with the exception of rocks which can explode).

I'm with ed on the stance that freezing is not as good an option for eradicating pests. A lot of them are able go dormant at freezing temperatures and can survive. I may be anal, but I both boil and bake everything that goes in my vivs if possible.... often twice or more.


----------



## Boss Frog (Nov 13, 2012)

They said to bake it and kill the bugs,so it sounds that grapewood comes with grubs? I figure if I buy a piece of wood it shouldn't come with bugs and also, quite a bit of the wood crumbled off.Is this customary practice then, if you buy wood and it has bugs then just bake it? is so, why not just get drift wood for the beach and bake it? ***edited***


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

The problem is that with some woods like grapewood which isn't fumigated since it is produced in country, you can't be sure that there aren't dormant eggs or larvae in the wood particularly since some larvae can take more than a year to develop. So to attempt to push it off even a little on the vendor isn't appropriate. 

Some comments 

Ed


----------



## Boss Frog (Nov 13, 2012)

ok, so this is i touchy subject I guess? Just very confusing, one side of mouth we say don't use drift wood and bake it, safer to buy from "Vendor" but "vendor wood has bugs and they say bake it. Not passing of on vendor, well maybe I am, as it seems it should be advertised good chance will contain bugs.The " vendor" did give me credit for it,


----------



## Boss Frog (Nov 13, 2012)

The "Vendor" also told me that that beetle only likes grape vine so if its not made from grape wood or grape vine it will be ok. they should check this out http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/pdf/2090.pdf . LOL seems they like any wood


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Do you have a definitive identification that it is powder post beetles? There are a number of insects that use grape wood as a food source (including the aptly named Grape Cane borer (_Amphicerus bicaudatus_) or the grape trunk borer (_Clytoleptus albofasciatus)_ ... I listed powder posts as a possibility and one to worry about in your house, I in no way meant that as a definitive identification without at least the adult beetles for a comparision...). 

You may want to tone down the implication that this you were given bad information by the seller...

Some comments 

Ed


----------



## Boss Frog (Nov 13, 2012)

Ok Didn't mean to sound like bashing, but getting frustrated, not with vendor, just all the info I am getting on board is .. I don't know how to say it. frustrating.Here is a picture of the grubs.Hope you can identify 
I have read on past threads that I shouldn't bake wood, just get from a vendor then the vendor says just bake it.see where this is getting frustrating?


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

The grubs don't help so much for an identification... beetles are really needed unless you are going to try and key them out. 

Baking only works if you heat it long enough that all of the wood reaches a suitable temperature to kill anything in it... The lengths of time suggested by people are typically insufficient to kill anything in the wood... You need to bake the wood until it is heated all the way through...which isn't easy to due...since holes drilled to insert a probe are going to conduct in heat ruining the estimate for the rest of the wood... You need to bake it for a long time (keep in mind that water evaporating from the wood is also going to cool the interior...).. depending on the thickness as long as overnight..(or longer)... 

Some comments 

Ed


----------



## Boss Frog (Nov 13, 2012)

well i looked up the grape trunk borer and grape vine larvae diffidently not either of those, but could be something else, but sure do look like post. But oh well better safe then sorry, just never buy grapewood again.


----------



## Tinctoc (Sep 15, 2012)

I would just toss the grapewood and be done with it. Getting rid of potential pests inside is just more trouble than that piece of wood is worth.


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Boss Frog said:


> well i looked up the grape trunk borer and grape vine larvae diffidently not either of those, but could be something else, but sure do look like post. But oh well better safe then sorry, just never buy grapewood again.


They actually look a lot like grape cane borer larva..see http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/grapes/pests/gcb.pdf.... 

However that doesn't really tell us a whole lot since a number of the wood burrowing beetle larvae tend to be somewhat similar in morphology.... 

Some comments 

Ed


----------



## Boss Frog (Nov 13, 2012)

Tinctoc said:


> I would just toss the grapewood and be done with it. Getting rid of potential pests inside is just more trouble than that piece of wood is worth.


I agree with you, put in my wood burner and heating my house


----------



## Tinctoc (Sep 15, 2012)

Boss Frog said:


> I agree with you, put in my wood burner and heating my house


This way it goes to good use!


----------

