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I 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY, 

 WASHINGTON, D. C, 



FOREST ENTOMOLOGY 4- 



March 27, 1916. 



Brief Information on 

 INSECT DAMAGE TO MANUFACTURED UNSEASONED FOREST PRODUCTS 



and ITS PREVENTION. 



Character and Extent of Damage.- Freshly sawed hardwood lumber lying in 

 close piles is liable to attack by pinhole borers during July, August and 

 September, especially duping dainp weather. These borers are known as am- 

 brosia beetles, pinworms etc. They work only in wood of a certain degree of 

 moisture, hence any agency or combination of them, like close piling, bark 

 on the wood, or damp weather, which retards drying, will at the same time at- 

 tract these beetles. Under such conditions timber may be reduced as much as 

 50% in value within a few weeks. 



Remedy.- Timber, once attacked, is damaged beyond repair, but taken in time, 

 further damage can be stopped, where practicable, by submergence in water 

 or saturating with kerosene. 



Prevention.- The most general advice that can be offered in this connection is, 



(1) Manufacture as far as possible all heavy dimension hardwood during 

 the winter months. 



(2) Take all possible steps to expedite the drying of material 

 manufactured during the warm season, 



(a) by removing all the bark before or immediately after it is 

 sawed 



(b) by loose piling so as to provide free circulation of air and 

 sunshine. 



A. D. HOPKINS, 



Forest Entomologist 



