[TOEKNEE]

anyone have any ideas on getting the bugs out of cottonwood bark? i just collected almost 3 trees worth of bark, and some of it has some little grub type looking worms and other small creatures living in it. thanks for any info!!!

[JimSawyer]

I remember reading somewhere that putting wood in a microwave kills anything living in it. I can't recall cooking time or power level.
Anyone?

[Clifford_Parker]

Stick it in a garbage bag, spray liberally with bug killer, tie bag and let it sit for a week or two.

[abisso]

I collect and handle tons of bark. The bugs/worms you describe are likely in the layers on the back of the bark rather than in the bark itself. The bugs and grubs probably got there after the tree died and need the moisture and nutrients in the inner layer to survive. The best thing to do is to strip off all of the layers in back of the bark and let the dry thoroughly. That will get rid of the grubs. The bark itself is not likely to contain any bugs. If the back is really hard to remove (still a bit green), just leave put it where it can dry out for a few months and then it will be easier to remove.

[artolver]

There is a cambian layer that has a sweetness especially the really big
trees and some worms find a way in at the base
I have found a lot of worms in cottonwood bark. Of course I only take bark from dead trees.
I have jointer 6'' wide and I use it to plane the back side. Thats where you can spot them wormholes. Some times I trace their bores and carve around
making tunnels and stuff. that makes a interesting carve.
art olver

[abisso]

Thanks for providing the name of that layer just under the bark. I knew it had one but could not think of it when I did my post. Yes, the cambian layer is the good part for bugs - and also beavers. I believe aspirin is also made from ingredients in the cambian layer of some type of tree - willow, I think. On the cottonwoods, the bark itself is usually bug-free if you get the cambian layer removed. That is not to say that the bugs do not create some interesting grooves, ridges, gridworks on the back of the bark as they tunnel around against it eating the cambian goodies and secreting whatever they secrete!

[Thomp]

at the carpentry shop votech, just after i retired 1991. a feller brought in some 3" oak he called it wormwood,

the termites were still active in it
"the class instructor, an old time carpenter" was questioned on how to deal with the bugs,
as wormwood was all the craze then,

the instructor said put the wood inside double layer big trash bags and fill the bags with car exhaust, a couple treatments in a week...

this worked, the bugs were dead, we made many picture frames out of the lumber and never seen one living bug... of course we covered the projects with an extra coat of finish for good measures

[xsailer]

Over the years I've stacked and added a several major piles of old Barn wood in my house. A lot of them had termites. I remember reading that the queen is deep in the ground, away from the eatable wood, and once the soldiers are removed from the Queen, like several miles, they will die. Apparently they did because the wood has been in the house for several years and no bugs.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I killed some termites in an old piece of ironwood by putting in a plastic trash bag and filling it with car exhaust.....sat it out for a few days , then after checking for life (none)...I put it in the freezer for a couple of days....no more critters