wormy wood?

[BassBuster2222]

don't bet on microwave to heat from the inside out. When I defrost with mine the bottom of a large piece of meat thaws and even cooks before the top,sides or middle even defrost. But to your bug question. Heating to 160 degrees for several hours is the preferred option....but not always 100% effective. Typically it will but there are varieties that can survive even this. Many remain dormant when the moisture level in the wood drops below roughly 10% but can awaken if it gets higher. I know a sawyer who made a nice set of cabinets for a lady. Both of them bragged about this "beautiful wormy word". Two years later she called him and wondered why there was recurring "sawdust" on her counter. Upon inspection he found some critter had awoken in the end panels and eaten it's way into the back wall and was eating up the house. Since the damage stopped shortly after entering the wall it was clear where it came from. Last year I repaired the back wall of a house that had a knee wall from the foundation to the floor joists. An entire 40ft section was completely destroyed studs, joist ends, and rim joist. The house had been made 6' wider and had a steel beam inside that the floor was cantilevered over or the entire house would have collapsed. Three patio doors in this wall had not operated for over 6 years and the house was only 19 years old. Foam insulation on the outside wall had trapped moisture in the wall and six species of ants moved in and devoured all the wood. I have some absolutely incredible pictures of what mother natures little soldiers can do. For small pieces you can try soaking in Paint thinner and then let them dry out for several days. The thinner only absorbs about 1/6" or so into the surface but will penetrate the tunnels and hopefully find anyone sleeping....remember though some eggs are immune. The same is true of heat or moisture. Pupae or adults will be killed but some cysts can survive.

[Robson Valley]

As the temperature drops in autumn and winter is tuning up, most insects can make biochemicals to keep from freezing to death, as immobile as they may look. However, if you treat them to a week of -20 in the freezer, a few nice warm days then back into the freezer. . . do several times, their biochemistry can't keep pace with the rapid change.

The reverse took place with the Mountain Pine beetle (larvae & adults) here in BC. We didn't get any sudden late fall cold spells for more than a decade. Result is that some 90% of all the pine in BC is DEAD. Standing, cracked, dry, dead, and nearly useless to the conventional forest industry.