Need advice from DU exterminators.

[deucemagnet]

When I went to the basement to put some wood in the wood furnace, I noticed a piece of hickory that looked like it had some kind of fungus on the bark. When I picked it up, I saw that the "fungus" was actually anthill-like piles of sawdust, maybe 1/2" high, and that there was a perfectly round 1/8" hole in the log below each one. What could do that? Bark beetles, maybe? The log wasn't rotten at all. I really don't need an infestation of whatever it is.

Edit: sp.

[Parche]

1. McAnts?

[deucemagnet]

2. Great. My firewood is in the fookin' Outer Limits.

I'll let you know what happens after the ironic ending. :rofl:

[dgibby]

3. Could be mason bees. If so, they're harmless.

Could also be termites or carpenter ants.

[deucemagnet]

6. I didn't want to hear termites or carpenter ants.

Don't they usually go for rotten wood, though? This was seasoned hickory. Solid, hard, and dry.

[dgibby]

7. Termites will eat anything.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm not an exterminator, nor am I related to Tom DeLay(thank gawd!).

[deucemagnet]

9. I think I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for the next few months.

There's about two cords of wood down there, and I'm not moving it outside. In the meantime, I'll be watching for those little mud termite tunnels and carpenter ants.

[Taverner]

4. If you want to kill them in a humane yet environmentally friendly way, use boric acid

Likewise, if you don't want to kill them, but merely "direct" them in a different direction, boric acid works for this as well.

[Critters2]

5. Or diatomaceous earth. Basically does the same thing. nt

[Bossy Monkey]

8. Probably one of these

http://www.novaguard.com/beetles.html
I'm not any expert, but have some limited google fu :)

[deucemagnet]

10. That sounds about right. Thanks!

The description of anobiid beetles fits exactly. We've had a lot of cherry with bark beetle larvae, but this is new.