Something crazy is happening

[Belafonte]

This is a tree of heaven that fell down in a thunderstorm a few weeks ago.  I figured I would use it to get some practice with my chainsaw mill.  I went and looked at the stuff today and it was doing this.  Any ideas?

  

  

 

[dustyhat]

Its trying to clone itself.    no just kidding its worms.

[Belafonte]

The white things in the photo are definitely not worms, but you're saying that it is the frass/sawdust coming out of their burrows.

[Magicman]

Yes.   ;D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Looks like somebody had a field day with a brad gun.

[deadfall]

Ambrosia beetles were so bad here last night.  That's typical of the hottest day of the year.  Friends were here for a bachelor party and the beetles were so thick several of them city boys went into their tents, as the campfire wasn't doing anything to keep them away.  They were all over me, probably because I had a nice fine dusting of sawdust all over my clothes and cap.  I have been bitten by these once or twice.  They were probably just seeing what kind of wood I was made of.  They lose interest as soon as they see you're made of meat.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/trees/asian_ambrosia_beetle.htm

[goose63]

And here I thought it might be some thing to help me regrow my hair  8) 8)

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

And here I thought it might be some thing to help me regrow my hair  8) 8)

:D :D :D

[deadfall]

And here I thought it might be some thing to help me regrow my hair  8) 8)

Maybe Kaw-Liga or Pinocchio... any wooden head might have a chance. 

[YellowHammer]

Ambrosia beetle frass, I believe. There are worse bugs to have in a log

[deadfall]

A few winters back, I drilled over 15000 half inch by one inch holes into about 215 42 and 48 inch alder logs, five to ten inches in diameter, packed each hole with shiitake mushroom sawdust spawn and sealed them with molten wax.  It took me all winter.  The first hot day of the next summer, the powder post beetles flew and landed on my mushroom logs with their own brand of fungus.  I freaked out, as my shiitake growers guide named ambrosia beetles as a problem for shiitake growers.  All I could find as a remedy on line was to put netting over the logs.  Fat chance of that!  I wound up calling the author of my growers guide and he told me it wasn't the end of the world, as shiitake fungus is far more aggressive than the one the beetles plant in their burrows.  As you can see, it all worked out okay.

[dustyhat]

I guess they make a spray you could get, i have thought about, but just never have, most of my logs, i dont get to keep around very long. but is something to think about. and on the other hand some people like the antique look .

[tmbrcruiser]

I agree it is powder post beetles. Last year was the first time I have seen large populations of PPB, in the past there were always some in dead wood. But lately we have seen large populations in downed wood. We had a tract of timber that became to wet to complete the logging, when we return last summer the tops were full of PPB and they quickly attacked fresh cut timber (not green standing trees). I got the call from the mill and had to close down the job until fall when the PPB were dormant. Dipping or spraying the logs/lumber will have only limited success. Kiln drying the lumber will work but keep the inventory isolated until you can get it into the kiln.