What insect is in my wood

[shortys7777]

I never actually see anything. The wood has been split, stacked, top covered close to 2 years. They must be moving out when the wood get dry. This is birch but i have it under bark in maple and oak before too.

 

[Max W]

Looks like it’s from a bark beetle. That’s what shows in the pic below according to the U Maine extension office. The rep called it a generic bark beetle. I found the signs in beech, yellow birch and maple and was told they are not a threat to house structures and at most could be an annoyance if some hatched out in the house. The fine dust is a pain however.

 

[Murray01]

Google “Woodboring Beetle”. I have never found a beetle in the wood but have found their offspring. Whiteish grubs about 1/2”-3/4” long and 1/8”-1/4” round. I have them in Spruce and Jack Pine.

 

[shortys7777]

Bringing this back up. I smashed some bark off and found some of these guys hanging out in the dust on the bark. Just as you described. Are they a threat to bring inside? I have only been bringing in what I burn. It's annoying though I like to stack a couple days inside for early morning loading when I wake up.

Google “Woodboring Beetle”. I have never found a beetle in the wood but have found their offspring. Whiteish grubs about 1/2”-3/4” long and 1/8”-1/4” round. I have them in Spruce and Jack Pine.

 

[MongoMongoson]

I can't say exactly what that is but it looks like a larva that would infest a tree under the bark. They seem to eat the inner bark or the layer between the bark and wood. Did you see track marks in the inner bark layer after you broke off the bark? I don't think there is any risk from that guy to your home.

I would be a little concerned about how dry your wood is, though. If your wood is dry I don't think the grubs should still be present.

I see them when I am splitting wood, not after it has seasoned.

 

[Murray01]

Bringing this back up. I smashed some bark off and found some of these guys hanging out in the dust on the bark. Just as you described. Are they a threat to bring inside? I have only been bringing in what I burn. It's annoying though I like to stack a couple days inside for early morning loading when I wake up.

I have found grubs in the wood when splitting, I’ve never really worried about them infesting the rest of the wood pile or getting into the house. When I find grubs I put them on our bird feeder platform and they disappear fast. My thinking is these grubs would have to go through their life cycle to cause any me any grief and by that time the wood is drying or burnt. When I come across carpenter ants during cutting/splitting then that wood gets left in the bush. My entire wood source is Jack Pine that was burnt by a forest fire in 2018(300 meters from the stove), if I discarded wood with insects I’d be travelling further afield for firewood. I’ve never had any beetles/insects transferred into the cabin from firewood that I’m aware of. The dog brings in more bugs than I do in firewood I’m sure. I’m no entomologist just personal observations.

 

[shortys7777]

I can't say exactly what that is but it looks like a larva that would infest a tree under the bark. They seem to eat the inner bark or the layer between the bark and wood. Did you see track marks in the inner bark layer after you broke off the bark? I don't think there is any risk from that guy to your home.

I would be a little concerned about how dry your wood is, though. If your wood is dry I don't think the grubs should still be present.

I see them when I am splitting wood, not after it has seasoned.

Wood is dry and burning great. Split and stacked 2 years ago. I do see trails right under the bark and these guys seem to be hibernating under the bark in their little powdery stuff. I've never seen one come out of the actual wood. Almost done with this black birch just trying to be cautious about what comes in the house.

 

[Isabel Ringing]

I found similar larvae under the bark of some white oak, and used the iNaturalist Seek app to try to identify them. The app indicated that they were eastern termites. Maybe the app misidentified them, but those pieces go straight into the stove.

BTW, I’m a few miles up 295 from your location.

 

[stoveliker]

These are far too big to be termite larvae. Moreover termite larvae dont live solitary but in a colony, like bees or ants.

 

[Isabel Ringing]

These are far too big to be termite larvae. Moreover termite larvae dont live solitary but in a colony, like bees or ants.

Thanks. I wasn’t sure that the app identified them correctly, as it was based on a scans from the phone camera. Either way they weren’t going to get an opportunity to escape.

 

[bigealta]

Yes i get those types of grubs here in NJ. I stopped worrying about them a long time ago. I don't get many but they do appear sometimes. Lots of things are eating the wood and leaving dust deposits. I still load a few days worth of wood inside the wood room entryway in my house and more next to the stove. Never had a bug problem.

It's the ticks that i don't like. But i don't see them around the wood piles, although they are probably there in spring, summer and fall.

 

[Dieselhead]

I had those grub looking bugs in some spruce I was splitting the last week. Seems they don’t discriminate on wood species.

 

[Murray01]

Google “Woodboring Beetle”. I have never found a beetle in the wood but have found their offspring. Whiteish grubs about 1/2”-3/4” long and 1/8”-1/4” round. I have them in Spruce and Jack Pine.

I stand corrected. Middle of January, Canadian winter, found while stripping bark off previous burnt Jack Pine.

 

[stoveliker]

I was splitting red maple that had a rotten/ant hole.in the bottom. The round I was splitting was where the hole closed, so one side open and one side closed with punky wood.
Much black channeled stuff in the hole.

After splitting it, I found this on the ground. Never seen one this big. As thick as my pinky finger and 2.5" long.