Question
I recently cut up an oak tree from another property in MD. About two weeks later after I brought it to my house. I noticed that only some of the rounds were getting saw dust piles. I assumed some type of carpenter ant as I have a few maples at my home. When starting to split there were white worms(with a dark spot at the top) boring in to the wood. They are only getting in to certain pieces, none of which was rotted at all. Will these get in to all of my wood, should I keep the wood? Any remedies. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Answer
Sounds like a beetle called Roundheaded beetle. Firewood often houses beetles, both under the bark and inside the wood. When firewood contains beetle larvae, adults may emerge as long as two years after the wood was cut.

Few insects that live in firewood will cause damage to your home. The structural lumber in your home's walls is much too dry to sustain them. As long as you don't store firewood inside your home, you shouldn't worry about insects from firewood infesting your house. Avoid keeping firewood in a damp garage or basement, where structural wood might have enough moisture to attract some insects. If insects do come indoors with the wood, just use a vacuum to remove them.

Do be careful about where you store your wood outdoors. If you place stacks of firewood right up against your house, you are asking for termite trouble.

The best thing you can do to avoid insect infestations in your firewood is to dry it quickly. The drier the wood, the less hospitable it is to most insects. Proper storage of firewood is key.
Cut wood into smaller logs before storing it. The more surfaces exposed to the air, the quicker the wood will cure. Firewood should be covered to keep out moisture. Ideally, wood should be raised off the ground, too. Keep some air space under the cover and under the pile to allow air flow and quicker drying.

The best way to prevent the insects from emerging from firewood in your house is to leave the firewood outside until it is to be burned, bringing at most, a few days' supply into the house at one time. Insects in firewood stored outdoors generally require several days to warm up in your home before they become active.

Spraying firewood with insecticide is of very little benefit and potentially dangerous. Therefore, we strongly advise against treating firewood. Insecticides will not penetrate deeply enough into firewood to control the insects. In addition, storing and burning insecticide-treated firewood indoors could be a health hazard if the insecticide is vaporized into the living area of the house.


Burning that wood is not a problem but the older wood should be burned first. And bring it in as you need it.