# powder post beetles..



## widdle (Mar 10, 2010)

Does anyone have any experience building a small kiln or some sort of large heated box to kill powdrer post beetles ?
i have a growing powder post beetle problem, in mostly two year old air dried slabs of various sizes..Wondering if i can build a plywood or ridged insulated box ( aproximetly 4' x 10' x 4' ) with some sort of elecrical heater ? Thickness of lumber ranges from 1" to 3"+ thick… I am aware of the borax solutions ..but trying to avoid that method..thanks


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Use solar power.
I put my wood in a clear plastic tent out in the Sun and let Mother Nature do the work.


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## widdle (Mar 10, 2010)

hobo
soo that will get the lumber up to 140/160 degrees necessary to kill the buggers ?


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## McKinneyMike (Feb 11, 2011)

Look into purchasing some Timbor. It is the only treatment that I am aware of that will kill them, without the aid of a heated kiln. Most solar kilns will not get hot enough for a long enough time to kill the eggs. You will need the core of the lumber to reach at least 135 degrees for at least an 8 hour period if I recall correctly. 
A heated chamber will work if the heater is sized for the purpose.


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## widdle (Mar 10, 2010)

thanks mike
Soo no one likes the idea of a ply box with some sort of electrical heater in there ?


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

I'm operate a milling and kiln drying business. You have three options to kiln the PPB and their larvae.

First and best option is to heat the wood to 133F for 4 hours or more. Note that the core of the slabs need to be at this temp, and also that you can sterilize at a lower temp for a longer period of time. The USDA has charts available that will guide you on the time/temp required for the center of the boards to reach 133F.

Yes, you can build a simple box to achieve this. As I recall, last December's FWW magazine had an article about doing this very thing. Basically you stack and sticker your lumber, using a ratchet strap around the bundle. Next. place your bundled wood on edge on top of a pair of sawhorses, so that the gaps between the boards are now vertical instead of horizontal. Build a box around the lumber using foil sided foam board panels (such as the Celotex panels on the outside of new houses) Leave the bottom side of the box open, and make a small door opening in the top that you can use to regulate heat. Place a space heater (such as the electric radiator type) underneath the sawhorses, so that the heat radiats upward. Stick a meat thermometer through one foam board near the bottom of the stack, and regulate the vent opening so that you achieve the desired tems.

Ideally you want to keep the wood between 135 - 145. If you heat it too much, you might damage it by causing excessive drying.

Your other options are using a boric acid type solution (such as timbor), but the problem with using this on dried wood is that you have to saturate the wood and let it dry again, and you can experience some degrade as a result.

Your third option is to build a tent and fume the slabs with ammonia. This may result in some discoloration.


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

Incandescent light bulbs put out more heat than light.


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## TimK43 (May 29, 2011)

Another option is to have the wood professionally fumigated by a local exterminator…. this is probably the easiest but also the most expensive option depending on your location. If you live along a coastline, where most insect fumigation is performed, it will cost less because more companies do this kind of work. I used to have a fumigation and wood preservation license in the state of Texas and we fumed lots of furniture.


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## widdle (Mar 10, 2010)

Sc..Thanks for the heads up..i ll look to see if i have that issue of fww..setting em up on edge sounds a little hassly cuz ther all random lengths and shape… sounds like it should work though..

Hairy..care to share more ?


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## widdle (Mar 10, 2010)

Tim..thats an option..mabye just make some sort of temp shed for the fumigators ?


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## widdle (Mar 10, 2010)

is the fumigation process as effective as heat ?


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

Light bulbs are a heat source. Temperature control is a bigger problem. Google it, there's a lot out there on building kilns and driers.

I've put small pieces for woodturning in the microwave to kill bugs.

It just might be cheaper to replace the lumber, you can't undo the damage they've done.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I need to put a thermometer in my shop attic where I store wood as it appears hot enough to do the job if it needs 135 degrees for 4 hours. Its been 96 to 100 here and the attic is MUCH hotter. Ill try to remember to post results.


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## widdle (Mar 10, 2010)

thanks hairy..not quite ready to scrap the lumber..there is some good sticks some as big as tables..Thought i might grt someone that has made one here.trying to get firsthand knowledge here from some oldskoolers rather than google..


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## Nomad62 (Apr 20, 2010)

With those little boogers it's wise to not cut corners. It takes a lot of heat to heat an area that you speak of, and I doubt a small heater would do it. You need to reach around 150-160 deg f. and hold it; you can do that, of course, but you will need to seal excessive air leaks and insulate the heck out of it. Lots of air movement. The chemical thing is good, but heat is best. Look around for someone that has a kiln and get a quote for their use.


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## RobWoodCutter (Jul 22, 2009)

I have a ton of wood and 80% is kiln dried, the balance is air dried. The wood is kept indoors at 70 deg./30 RH is at 6-8 percent moisture content. The PPB will still eat the wood. After two years of nothing, four boards had small piles of powder by them, and they are the kiln dried ones. So the kiln will current bugs, but once dead they can still be reinfested. I picked up some Boracare for the boards that were infested, and Timbor for the ones with no infestation. As long as the wood stays dry, the treatment should last 40 years (according to the manufacturer.) The PPB got into a couple 9"x 16/4×10' red oak rough cut boards. They had only gotten 1/4" into the wood and I was able to plane the trails out. Rob


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

I just saw a video on using Diatomaceous Earth to kill ants, roaches, etc. Is this basically the same as the boric acid (Timbor) method?


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Attics in SW Oklahoma get up to about 175 degrees. I have measured them that hot!!


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## Allanwoodworks (Aug 15, 2010)

Widdle,

I have an operational solar kiln up here in Washington that I built. I have some plans and designs that might help you. PM me your email address and I can send it to you. Go to the web site SolarKilninfo.com, I got a lot of information from this site. I am thinking of doing a blog about building my solar kiln and how it operates, just need the time. Hope this helps.


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## Allanwoodworks (Aug 15, 2010)

P.S. My kiln stays around 156 deg on a sunny day, the problem is we don't get too many of toughs up here in Washington.


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## Smile_n_Nod (Jan 20, 2011)

You can probably put the wood in a car or van parked in the sunshine in the South and reach 160 degrees easily.


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## Millo (Jan 19, 2010)

rance,

As far as I know that earth is simply meant to cut and slice bugs pretty badly, as far as I know, not really an insecticide. It's used when you don't want to add chemicals, as in for example, to protect a veggie garden, etc.


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