# Tips & Tricks: Insects in the Wood?



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

What are your "tips and tricks" (and challenges) re: *finding/killing/removing insects in wood?*



(Here is a general search for: insects)



*Gateway to all Tips & Tricks Topics*


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

I remember a story by someone here - where the wood was stored in the freezer to kill of any insects. The lady of the house was NOT impressed.


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## joeybealis (Jul 16, 2011)

I mostly do turning so all my work is either boiled or microwaved or soaked in chemicals for days. I also keep a sprayer with insecticide around all the time. I spray my shop and wood pile along with my house every month.


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## DocK16 (Mar 18, 2007)

I use the shoe method


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

When I posted the question on Google+, Stephen (at Google+) suggested putting the wood in a bag with a bit of dry ice. Carbon dioxide takes care of the hard part for you.

I'd never heard that strategy mentioned before.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

here is a video i was sent 
that has some ways to stop insect 
(ants and termites among others)

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/eng//id/258

well worth seeing

thank you debbie
for all the new forums and links 
you have created 
for us to find and share these and all ideas

a real 'go to' help


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## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

After a scary bout of flying black insects hatching in the dead of winter, and a variety of large dark brown spiders emerging, I make sure that I remove all bark and soft wood from live edged pieces and spray with rubbing alcohol to saturate the soft wood of the piece. After that I use a boric acid solution that is marketed for pesticide use. It's cheap and easy, but you MUST be careful not to get this stuff in waterways, ponds or planted areas as it will KILL indiscriminately.


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## skone (Sep 20, 2010)

mmh - i'm with you on both the boric acid and the alcohol. isopropyl on a rag in a trashbag with the wood. don't know the flashpoint but i've never had my lumber explode. boric acid in powder form can be mixed with a number of liquid bases and when the liquid evaporates the boric acid remains in the pores of the wood. thanks for bringing up the topic-- serves as a good reminder to pick through your wood and make sure you don't have any uninvited guests…


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

I use Tim-Bor and spray the planks that has a Powder Post pile of dust. It has solved that problem,

It's a Boric Acid product like refered to in above postings.


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## BritBoxmaker (Feb 1, 2010)

If its a piece of timber (lumber) and not a cherished object (box, chair, cutting board, table etc etc) take it out of the shop and burn it! Preferably don't let it into the shop in the first place. If its a finished object treat it with a proprietry bug killer and hope for the best.


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## WaltsWoodworks (Aug 28, 2012)

I learned with dogs and cats that a cue tip dipped into alchohol kills fleas on contact, so when I had an ash board with bugts in it, I set it outside on a couple of pieces of wood, soaked a rag in MEK, wiped both surfaces to get them wet and voula, end of problem.


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