Bug Removal From White Oak Lumber
The white oak rates as a popular shade tree and vital source of lumber in the United States, according to the Department of Natural Resources, with its wood used as material for homes, furniture and ships. Does this Spark an idea?
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Chemical Treatments
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Insects, including the white oak boring beetle, particularly affect the white oak. Control agents don't come without risk, however, cautions Cornell University's Pesticide Information Project. Methyl bromide and sulfur fluoride lead to effects ranging from eye irritation to death, while disodium octaborate tetrahydrate can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Natural Remedies
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Most insects require significant moisture in lumber to survive. Recently felled white oak heartwood lumber, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has a 72 percent moisture content. Properly drying lumber, preferably to a moisture content of no more than 20 percent, will kill most pests. Air drying involves stacking the lumber in layers, with "stickers" -- small separators at the end of each piece -- separating the layers and allowing air to pass through. Cedarwood oil extract -- brushed, sprayed or rolled on -- offers another, non-chemical solution.
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Fun Fact
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The residents of Talbot County, Maryland, once claimed to have the largest U.S. white oak, reports the National Agricultural Library. Growing in Wye Oak State Park, it was about 500 years old when it blew down in 2002. Residents planted another white oak, the state tree, in its place.
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References
- Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University System: Wood-boring Insects of Trees and Shrubs
- NY Pest Pro: White Oak Borer Beetle
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources: White Oak (Quercus alba)
- USDA Forest Service: Air Drying of Lumber
- Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices: Methyl bromide
- Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices: Sulfuryl-Fluoride
Resources
- Photo Credit oak bark image by Zlatko Ivancok from Fotolia.com
