# MAYDAY! HELP! Cure for Powder Post Beetles!?



## Doboy (Dec 5, 2018)

I was out back, on my neighbors property cutting standing dead ash for firewood. I like to store 2-3 years worth, if possible.
I have 2 lean-to/ patio roofs build on the sides of a garage & the barn where I store my firewood & rough-cut lumber to dry.
My neighbor came out to BS,, & he showed me hundreds, if not thousands of 1/8" holes that were all the way up a huge, partially dying maple tree.
I've never noticed holes like that before, & I've been burning wood & saw-milling lumber for 50 years!

*POWDER POST BEATLES!?????*

He told me that all of the structural wood on his patio is polluted with those same type of 'bug' holes! 
& there's Flour-like Sawdust all over the rafters.

OMG,,,,,
So I've been searching for a 'FIX' all morning. Seems like, these boring bugs love structural lumber that's not kiln dried, or structures that are under or close to shade trees. Cooler temps & Humidity.

I'm in the process of building a MAN-CAVE Cabin for my kids & Grandkids,, & I wanted to use all of the poplar boards that I racked 10 years ago.
I started checking the boards out today, & there's dozens to hundreds of holes drilled into each board!

*WHAT CAN/ SHOULD I DO!

A Quote that I found , on the net; (is this for real???)

"I recommend using a microwave emitter to fight the beetle. 
Recently, such instruments have appeared & are obtainable. The emitter simply fries the larva in the tree wood and does it quickly. 
The Beetles have destroyed the house of my ancestors. And they recently started to eat my barn. 
For two days,,,, I managed to get rid of this pest.*


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## MMCK5 (Oct 2, 2018)

You need to buy some type of borate and spray the wood. I would probably just buy a bag of TIMBOR, and spray the wood thoroughly with a pump up sprayer and let dry. This will penetrate into the wood and kill the beetles as prevent future infestations. It also prevents rot. It is water soluble so as long as it stays protected from getting wet it will work- so you would need to put a top coat on the wood. You can also buy BORA-CARE which supposedly penetrates deeper. I own a log home and have used both but I prefer Timbor, due to the cost and the fact it seems to work just as good.


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## Doboy (Dec 5, 2018)

MMCK5 said:


> You need to buy some type of borate and spray the wood. I would probably just buy a bag of TIMBOR, and spray the wood thoroughly with a pump up sprayer and let dry. This will penetrate into the wood and kill the beetles as prevent future infestations. It also prevents rot. It is water soluble so as long as it stays protected from getting wet it will work- so you would need to put a top coat on the wood. *You can also buy BORA-CARE which supposedly penetrates deeper. I own a log home and have used both but I prefer Timbor, due to the cost and the fact it seems to work just as good.*



THANK YOU very much,,,, exactly the info that I was looking for! & YES,,, BORA-care is too expensive,, for what it is.

What I'm trying right now;
I purchased 2, 2-gal buckets full of Borax. I'm mixing 1 cup of borax with 1 cup of rock salt in a 2 gallon sprayer.
Lay the boards out on a flat picnic table, back side up, & give them a good soaking.
Last week, it was 65* & windy, & it took about 4 hrs for the boards to completely dry to the touch. I can't see a film, that might mess with the stains & varnish.
Then I stacked them up inside of the garage so they wouldn't warp any.
SO FAR,,,, no dust, no beetles, & no visible grubs.
Only time will tell. AFTER I get about 200 boards sprayed, dried & stacked, I'll go through the pile & look for dust.

Do you think that that mixture should work? The boards that go inside the Man Cave will only be stained on the outside of the boards,, not both sides,,,, but it's a paint thinner based stain. That should help to choke out the little suckers!

I now see that the dollar stores sells a Borax dusting product for ants & roaches. I just might use some of that too, to dust the back of the boards before I nail them up.? EXTRA precaution,,,, Couldn't hurt.


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## Doboy (Dec 5, 2018)

FYI,,,

Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate (DOT) | Applications and Specifications (orthoborate.com)


*Pest Control*
Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate is one of a family of borate compounds (containing boron and oxygen), which are considered absolutely toxic to insects. Borate compounds like Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate utilize a stop-feed mode of action, means that the active ingredient DOT disrupts the enzyme and digestive systems of the insect. In treatment of wood decaying insects like termites or carpenter ants, DOT prevents these pests from being able to digest the wood that they depend on for survival. Disodium octaborate is also effective against fungi and algae (fungicide), molluscs and mildew.
*Toxicity Summary*
The inorganic borates display low acute toxicity. They are either not irritant or mild skin and eye irritants. They are not skin sensitisers, nor are they mutagenic or carcinogenic. The most sensitive endpoints of toxicity are considered to be effects on the reproductive organs, fertility in males, and developmental effects. The doses that cause these effects are far higher than any levels to which the human population could be exposed



*PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS*

PropertyUnitValueBoric Oxide (B2O3)%68.6Boron (B)%21.3Humidity°C1.3Mercury (Hg)p.p.m< 3Cadmium (Cd)p.p.m< 0.3Lead (Pb)p.p.m2Total Chromiump.p.m< 1.2Arsenicp.p.m2.9


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