Finding Woodworms in Woodshop

[VegasCustom]

Hey guys. Over the last few days I've been finding wood worms around my wood. I only know of one piece that had them and its been in the shop for two years. I recently cut it up to get some good guitar top sizes and since then I've found worms. Went through all of my wood this morning, found absolutely zero signs of damage in anything, aside from the original piece with the worms... Is there a safe method for treating my wood in a raw state that won't effect its quality?

And side note.. is it at all possible to safely care for woodworms and introduce them to wood to create a unique "worm eaten wood" like seen from the luthier (whos name escapes me) from Italy and works with the bassist from Snarky Puppy? Would this require a separate shed or be a recipe for ultimate disaster? I guess in theory I could set up one of those Amazon cheap plastic closets in my garage to keep it isolated. Just trying to make the most out of it while its occurring.

*found 3 worms this year. 2 large, 1 small.
*Wood was purchased out of a baking Vegas storage unit in the heat of the summer.

 

[Max Bogosity]

I had a similar problem last year and looked into it (see the DIY Lumber thread) and it seemed like the only reliable way was heat. There are various chemical treatments, but they just sit on the surface and won't necessarily reach any beasties lurking within.

I built an impromptu solar kiln from old windows to try to kill the bugs. It doesn't quite reach the recommended 160F, but I haven't seen any bug activity in nearly a year, either. In your climate, though, I bet getting hot enough would not be difficult. Or, you may be able find a lumberyard that dries their own wood and get them to run yours through their kiln.

 

[VegasCustom]

Im gonna try heat. In peak summer my garage can easily get to 120 at the heat of the day. Worms seemed to have survived that last year. I’m gonna figure out a way to maybe further insulate a wooden box and increase heat for a good kiln

 

[Max Bogosity]

Mine is an uninsulated and badly-sealed plywood box whose top and south-facing side are old double-glazed windows, slapped together in a couple of hours. On a sunny day it gets about 20C / 35F hotter than the outside air. With more effort in insulation etc. I'd guess 50% better gain wouldn't be hard to achieve.

From what I read, a good target is 160F at the surface for several hours, with the aim of reaching about 135F on the interior of the wood.

 

[VegasCustom]

Alright, I’m going to see what I can throw together today. Off work and at home while my
Bath is getting fixed so I have a lot of time to kill today

 

[boxerrider]

125 to 140 degrees F for a few to several hours (higher temp = less time).
The trick is that the middle of the board needs to reach that temperature and hold it.

 

[boxerrider]

I believe trying to farm raise larvae-eaten lumber would take a lot of space, time, money, and effort. You're probably way ahead buying pieces that have the look you like. Smaller sawyers may have piles you can search through.
Enjoy!