Ash Wood and Emerald Borer

the prices for ash keep going up, and every lumber yard Ive been to stocks it, so I cant picture them keeping stock that would be infested.
My pile of ash doesnt have a mark on it, and its been sitting in my wood rack for 2 and half years.
 
I'm a fan of recycling and all my saw dust goes into my compost pile for the garden. A few month ago I bought some of the infested Ash, you could see the tunnels from the borers. BIG MISTAKE !!!!!!! The saw dust went into the compost and some time later I had a big pile of grubs growing. Scalding water took care of the grubs and I will NOT buy any more infested ASH.

DKT
 
I'm a fan of recycling and all my saw dust goes into my compost pile for the garden. A few month ago I bought some of the infested Ash, you could see the tunnels from the borers. BIG MISTAKE !!!!!!! The saw dust went into the compost and some time later I had a big pile of grubs growing. Scalding water took care of the grubs and I will NOT buy any more infested ASH.

DKT

You bought infested rough lumber?
 
The lumber was planed on 2 sides, but you could see the borer tunnels. I wanted the lumber for a utility project, nothing fancy like jewelry boxes etc. So I knew what I was getting but the price was right and I thought the larvae had been killed. I was wrong and learned from my mistake.

DKT
 
The lumber was planed on 2 sides, but you could see the borer tunnels. I wanted the lumber for a utility project, nothing fancy like jewelry boxes etc. So I knew what I was getting but the price was right and I thought the larvae had been killed. I was wrong and learned from my mistake.

DKT

I doubt your grubs were Emerald Ash Borers (EAB). All the reading I've done about them indicates they don't penetrate the actual wood, but are generally found in the cambium layer, where they disrupt the tree's sap flow, essentially by 'girdling' the tree with their eating habits.

This is an excerpt from an EAB Information Website: Recent research shows that the beetle can have a one- or two-year life cycle. Adults begin emerging in mid to late May with peak emergence in late June. Females usually begin laying eggs about 2 weeks after emergence. Eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks, and the tiny larvae bore through the bark and into the cambium - the area between the bark and wood where nutrient levels are high. The larvae feed under the bark for several weeks, usually from late July or early August through October. The larvae typically pass through four stages, eventually reaching a size of roughly 1 to 1.25 inches long. Most EAB larvae overwinter in a small chamber in the outer bark or in the outer inch of wood. Pupation occurs in spring and the new generation of adults will emerge in May or early June, to begin the cycle again.
 
Local DNR, the local Hoosier National Forrest folks and the specialist in Indianapolis all told me the bugs only go about 1 1/2 in deep. When I had the Ash sawn, we took 2" off all the way around. Slabs got burnt in a stove, so I would say the bugs didn't make it out alive. The boards are stickered in the barn. I check them every so often and no sign of remaining bugs.
 
Indeed, The ash borer grubs eat the cambium layer. You can peel the bark on dead ash and see the girdling . I sure wonder why they eat mostly in a horizontal pattern vs some bugs that eat mostly in the vertical. :huh: I will be logging 1000's of brd.ft. of ash this winter. Many of the trees are 16" plus diameter with some approaching 2 ft. This mature woods makes 2-3 logs per tree with the top starting about 50-60 ft up. Kiln drying will easily kill the bugs. Some of the trees also have another borer/grub in them. These critters are eating right through the log and leave/introduce a pink stain to the wood. I might just sequester that lumber for a wormy floor for the house.
 
Top