Lk sal 
\ haa 
PROTECTION OF MESQUITE CORDWOOD 
AND POSTS FROM BORERS. 
By F. ©. CrargHerap,* Specialist in. Forest Entomology, and Grorce Horer, 
Entomological Ranger. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page. 
Importance of the mesquite_-______ 3 | Seasonal activity of the borers_____ 9 
Insects responsible for the damage__ 6 | Conditions favorable and unfavor- 
Characteristics of the insects and ablestormatiackeoe = 2-2 eb seen 10 
INGLIS WiGT Kk ee eee ee ee G6 | Methods of preventing injury__-__ i 10 
IMPORTANCE OF THE MESQUITE. 
Two or three species of mesquite (figs. 1, 2) occur in the south- 
western United States and many more are widely distributed 
throughout the world. Mesquite’s adaptation to arid climates makes 
it an extremely useful tree. In many countries it is chiefly valuable 
for the food product derived from the bean, although in the United 
States this is but little exploited at present. In much of the South- 
west it is the only available wood. 
All of the species or varieties occurring in the Southwest are put 
to many uses. The wood, being close-grained, hard, heavy, and very 
durable, makes excellent fence posts, frames for adobe houses, and, to 
a limited extent, mine props and crossties. The large roots and 
thickened bases of the stems furnish the best available fuel of this 
region. 
The wood of all varieties of mesquite 'is the favored food of many 
borers, which completely riddle it and render it practically worth- 
less a few months after it is cut. Some destroy the sapwood and 
honeycomb the heartwood within five months (fig. 3); others re- 
duce the sapwood almost to dust within four months (fig. 4) so that 
fence staples drop out and let the wires down, necessitating constant 
replacing of the posts. It is not uncommon to see piles of cordwood 
so riddled that the individual sticks are easily broken and the spaces 
between the sticks are completely filled with boring dust. Dealers in 
mesquite fuel suffer considerable losses through such insect damage. 
1 Resigned Dec. 31, 1920. 
25179°—21 3 
