Wood Destroying Insects Potentially Important to a Violin Maker

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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
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Common Wood Destroying Insects

• Termites
• Carpenter Ants
• Powderpost Beetles
• Longhorn Beetles
• Flatheaded Borers
• Wood-boring Weevils

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Termites
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

• Subterranean
• Dampwood
• Drywood

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

• Figure 3-5

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Subterranean termite colonies live in the soil
from which they construct exploratory tubes in
search of wood.
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Termite Swarming is usually the first evidence of
an infestation noticed by most people.
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Drywood Termites

• Can live in dry, sound wood
• Usually tropical and subtropical
• Kick out characteristic fecal pellets

Subterranean (left), Drywood (right)
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Drywood Termite Fecal Pellets
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Carpenter Ants

• Camponotus

Figure 3-9
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Carpenter Ants build nests in wood, they dont
eat it!
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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.

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Powder Post BeetlesThree Families

• Lyctids Bostrichids
  Anobiids

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The main sign of powderpost beetles is powdery
sawdust.
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Powderpost beetles turn wood to dust!
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• Lyctid powderpost beetles
• Attack sapwood
• Attack hardwoods only, rarely maple
• Require 8 to 32 moisture

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

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

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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
• Dont purchase infested lumber destroy lumber
  that becomes infested
• Fumigate high cost lumber (professionals only!)