Question
Now that the dreaded borer is near where I live, SW Ohio, I have a few questions. Will the borer attack logs on the ground? I have some old ash trees laying around that are no longer good for sawlogs. Should I burn them now? If I saw ash, can I assume no borers if I have clean boards with no bark? I have a potential customer in an area of infection north of me, and I wonder if the sawn boards will be safe to bring home, where we are not yet infected. I definitely do not want to do anything to bring it here, as a quarter of my 20 acres of woods are ash. I would sure hate to cut them down. Can I saw logs in an infected area without bringing back the borer on my mill, as long as I clean the mill before coming home?
Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From Professor Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
>> Will the borer attack logs on the ground?
It is possible, but not likely.
>> I have some old ash laying around that are no longer good for sawlogs. Should I burn them now?
Probably no urgency in burning, but that would be a good idea.
>> If I saw ash, can I assume no borers if I have clean boards with no bark?
No.
>> I have a potential customer in an area of infection north of me, and I wonder if the sawn boards will be safe to bring home…
This would be very risky. They need to be dried first.
>> Can I saw logs in an infected area without bringing back the borer on my mill, as long as I clean the mill before coming home?
Good question. If you clean it 100% of all sawdust, bark, etc., then probably (but not 100%) okay.
