Red Cedar and termites

[kderby]

Is Eastern Red Cedar termite resistant?  I mill Western Juniper (relative of ERC)and we do not have much in the way of termites round here.  I was curious how ERC hold up in soil contact??

Don't know if this belongs here but I am a sawyer and wanted to ask other sawyers.

Thanks

Kderby

[Bro. Noble]

The heartwood lasts a long time in contact with the soil-------the sapwood doesn't.

[kelLOGg]

I don't think you will ever see termites in the heartwood.

[Larry]

Don’t worry about the termites as they don’t eat much...but these guys do.




 


In my experience termites and there cousins don’t much like the heartwood.  Powder post beetles really enjoy the bark and sapwood.

I almost hate to post this as I can’t remember where I read the news.  ERC was approved in some places in lieu of PT for sill plates.  A excellent alternative to corrosive ACQ pressure treated.  Check your local codes.

[Cedarman]

I have seen termites eat the sapwood on a ERC fence post that still had the bark on it. Havn't seen much activity if the bark is off.
Carpenter ants on the other hand don't eat the wood, they hollow out the wood to provide themselves a home.  They usually only go into cedars that have some heart rot to make it easy on themselves.

[campy]

Those are great photos.
Eastern Red Cedar comes frequently to my mill.
The ants like to nest in the bottoms of the trunks.

It cuts like butter even with a dull blade.

[Magicman]

Yes, termites will eat ERC, and for the record.....they will also eat pressure treated SYP.  Big time.

[trickn7474]

Majicman you have that right!

[Brucer]

Carpenter ants on the other hand don't eat the wood, they hollow out the wood to provide themselves a home.  They usually only go into cedars that have some heart rot to make it easy on themselves.

Interesting. They also like to build homes in Western Red Cedar (which is totally unrelated to ERC) -- but only in rotten heartwood. They won't touch the sapwood or sound heartwood. Heart rot in WRC has to have a path to get into the tree -- usually a broken off branch or root. The ants just follow the rot in.

[Cedarman]

Magicman, I had a dog one time that ate spinach.  I fed him nothing for 10 straight days but spinach and he finally got to eating it. That might be the way it is with termites and cedar heartwood. Now sapwood, they will partake of it.

[Magicman]

They like heart cherry also.....don't ask me how I know....