chataigner":mrj9ds57 said:
What degree of warmth does it take to kill 'em off ?
The warmth from the heart of a loving and caring man like yourself David. Love thy wood, and the wood loveth thee.
But seriously, taken from
http://www.historyonics.com/woodborers.htm (the link I posted above that you couldn't be bothered to read :roll: )...
Treatments
Treatment against woodborer infestations are of many types, including:
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Fumigation with toxic gases such as phosphine and carbon dioxide. Fumigation is effective as the gas penetrates deeply into wood etc., killing all stages of the insect. It is useful when large quantities of material need to be treated quickly. However, fumigants are toxic and may react chemically with the objects being treated. They also do not provide any residual protection against the objects being reinfested.
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Anoxic fumigation provides very low oxygen environments, either with inert gases such as nitrogen or with oxygen absorbers such as AgelessTM. When suitably carried out, it can be a safe and effective method of killing insects by asphyxiation and desiccation. It does, however, need long treatment times of several weeks and is not very effective against woodborers.
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Temperature manipulation using high and low temperatures will kill insects. Temperatures above 52oC will kill all stages – eggs, larvae, pupae and adults in a few hours. This is the basis of the Thermolignum system. Temperatures of -30oC will kill all stages in 2-3 days, however at -18oC, the temperature of a domestic deep freezer, up to 2 weeks is necessary. Although generally safe on most materials, low temperature treatments can damage by embrittlement and shrinkage of, for instance, thick paint films.
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Insecticides consisting of an active ingredient in a solvent system are effective and give residual protection. Care must be taken in the choice of insecticide. In some instances an organic solution base may be preferable to a water solvent base.
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Constrain is a water-based insecticide that is very effective against woodborers and other insect pests as it penetrates deeply into the wood. It is colourless and odourless and is a very safe material recommended for domestic use.
Conditions encouraging attack are:
- warm temperatures above 10oC are necessary for the larvae to develop. Temperatures above 20oC encourage the adult beetles to fly and spread an infestation.
- high relative humidities above about 65% induce high moisture contents in wood (above about 15%) necessary for Anobium development. Deathwatch beetle development need even higher moisture contents.
- poor environmental conditions can cause splits, cracks and opening joints etc., that give good egg laying sites.
- poor housekeeping and lack of cleanliness can encourage Anobium development.
Cheers
fred