# Insect damaged wood



## cedar eater (Jul 1, 2015)

I'm very interested in using wood from my own properties to smoke with. I have alder, apple, birch, cedar, cherry, red maple, and red oak. I cut down a dead cherry yesterday and the core of the trunk had a lot of damage from carpenter ants. Aside from that, it was already well seasoned. I can cut around the ant damage, but I thought I would check whether anyone had experience smoking with insect damaged wood. The bugs are all gone, but do they leave anything unpleasant tasting behind in the wood? Also, I'm assuming that burning too much tree bark is a bad thing, but how much is too much?


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## cedar eater (Jul 3, 2015)

cherry.jpg



__ cedar eater
__ Jul 3, 2015






This is the ant damaged cherry wood. My wife is thinking we shouldn't even try it, but the pieces don't have an off smell or ants still living in them.


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## voodoochile (Jul 9, 2015)

I'm thinking it will be fine ...... give it a try


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## crankybuzzard (Jul 9, 2015)

Shouldn't be an issue.  I use hickory and pecan like that quite a bit.  

As for the bark, if it's loose, I take it off, if it's tight, it goes in the pit on the log. 

Smoke and enjoy.


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## supershortmag (Feb 14, 2016)

Hi guys

Been reading a while, but only joined recently. This is the closest thread to my question I could find.

A fiend gave me some pecan from Texas. Looks to me like some kind of boring bugs got to them pretty bad.  Would you guys use it?  Should I avoid the worst spots?













Pecan1.JPG



__ supershortmag
__ Feb 14, 2016


















Pecan3.JPG



__ supershortmag
__ Feb 14, 2016


















Pecan4.JPG



__ supershortmag
__ Feb 14, 2016


















Pecan2.JPG



__ supershortmag
__ Feb 14, 2016


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