# Ambrosia Maple, Can it be indentified standing?



## BigJon (Nov 24, 2012)

Im not sure where Ambrosia Maple can be found, Im in Central Kentucky and have several hundread acres of farm land with lots of standing timber. What is the current range of the beetle? I don't even know if its in my area or not. And is there a way to tell if a tree has been infested with the critter without felling it? Such as holes in the bark or leaf discoloration? I have been searching but have found no real information concerning this! Thanks!


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## Arminius (Dec 27, 2007)

From what I understand, the infestations are normally on dead or dying trees.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

From HobitHouse Wood. 
"Ambrosia" is a term applied to maple when it has been infested by the ambrosia beetle. I do not know for sure if it is limited to any particular ones of the 60+ species of the genus Acer that are sold as various types of maple, but I do know that it occurs in big-leaf (aka red) maple (Acer rubrum) and that it is often listed as "wormy soft maple" (and A. rubrum is one of the two main maples listed as "soft maple", the other one being A. saccharinum) so generally I would expect ambrosia maple to be A. rubrum or A. saccharinum, but I doubt it is limited to those two species.

The fungus is eaten by the beetle and then gets into the tree sap when the beetle eats into the tree, and it spreads both through the worm-hole and up and down in the tree (carried along by the sap) and causes discoloring of the wood in streaks. It is these streaks which are so desirable to woodturners as it produces a beautiful pattern in the wood which is clearly seen when the wood is turned on a lathe.

This kind of insect attack / wood figure is not limited to maple, but that is the wood in which it is most well known.

The number of beetle holes will vary from very few up to what looks like a major infestation, as you can see from the pics on this page. 
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/maple,%20ambrosia.htm


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## ksSlim (Jun 27, 2010)

The attached web url has pictures of the ambrosia fungus on nursery stock.
Worth a look. About half way down first page.

http://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/nursery_crop_production.shtml


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

*"And is there a way to tell if a tree has been infested with the critter without felling it?"*

No. It is a surprise when you open up the log. Most logs do not have it.


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## Wdwerker (Apr 14, 2012)

Check with your county extension agent. They would know if there was any beetle activity in your area and how to tell if a tree had been affected. Still gonna be a crap shoot as to how much of the fungus streaks might be in the wood.

I got a few planks of ambrosia maple with burl patches from the downfall pile at my local lumbermill cheap. The planer had torn the grain to shreds. Many passes through the drum sander and I have some 3/8 thick stock for door panels and box tops.


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## JNP (May 6, 2011)

The Rockler in town here has it on sale for $4.00 bd/ft. Very interesting wood/


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Ambrosia beetles are actually very common and are found almost everywhere is the US. They attack weakened or stressed trees. That is how they make their living. Since they are not a bark beetle, they bore into the wood, not the inner bark, and an ambrosia beetle attack is not fatal unless it occurs with some other agent, like bark beetles.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Interesting thread. Of course now I have to start bringing home maple trees.


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## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

It must be more common here than most places.
Last time I bought silver maple over 1000 feet of the 1300 feet I bought was ambrosia.
My favorite is spalted ambrosia maple.


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