1. Wood Destroying Insects Potentially Important to a Violin Maker Ben Stinner, Ph.D. The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center (OARDC) Wooster, OH [From materials developed by D. J. Shetlar, OSU Extension, October ‘02]

2. Common Wood Destroying Insects Termites Carpenter Ants Powderpost Beetles Longhorn Beetles Flatheaded Borers Wood-boring Weevils

3. Termites Subterranean Dampwood Drywood Major destroyers of wood and wood product materials. Normally associated with buildings, but can also infest wood that has been stored for some time. There are three basic kinds of termites:

4. Isoptera (termites) [social insects, winged reproductives with both wings same size and membranous; straight or curved antennae consists of beadlike segments; abdomen broadly joined to thorax; no cerci; chewing mouthparts]

5. Ant or Termite? Figure 3-5 Termites are sometimes called “white ants” because they are ant-like in form. Termites differ in antenna form and having a broad waist.

6. Subterranean termite colonies live in the soil from which they construct exploratory tubes in search of wood.

7. Termite Swarming is usually the first evidence of an infestation noticed by most people.

8. Drywood Termites Can live in dry, sound wood Usually tropical and subtropical Kick out characteristic fecal pellets Subterranean (left), Drywood (right)

9. Drywood Termite Fecal Pellets

10. Carpenter Ants Camponotus Figure 3-9

11. Carpenter Ants build nests in wood, they don’t eat it!

12. Carpenter Ant Damage Carpenter ants need water Usually build nests in damp or partially rotted wood, but can extend their nests into sound wood Keep lumber dry and properly stacked.

13. Powder Post Beetles Three Families Lyctids Bostrichids Anobiids

14. The main sign of powderpost beetles is powdery sawdust.

15. Powderpost beetles turn wood to dust!

16. Lyctid powderpost beetles: Attack sapwood Attack hardwoods only, rarely maple Require 8% to 32% moisture

17. Anobiid powderpost beetles: Prefer old woods, 10-20 years old! Attack hardwoods and softwoods including maple Require 13% to 30% moisture

18. Wood-boring weevil, Hexarthum: Frass looks like powderpost beetles Attack hardwoods, including maple Require high wood moistures, often wet!

19. Wood-boring Beetle Management Detect early! (regularly inspect - powder) Keep lumber at less than 5% moisture Keep lumber off of moist floors or ground Resaw to remove sapwood Don’t purchase infested lumber & destroy lumber that becomes infested Fumigate high cost lumber (professionals only!)