Insects, worms, termites, etc...

I was searching for info on removing/killing unwanted "guests" and found this thread:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10259&forum=7&hilite=insect

Was wondering what some recommended techniques are before I put my log in a thick plastic bag and bug bomb it... (mine's a Palm)

Any suggestions/recommendations/success stories?

Maybe you could fill the bag with something less toxic, such as helium or carbon monoxide?

All I can think of with Helium is a bunch of insects laughing at me... Is it toxic to them?? That would be fun for all!!

Helium is toxic to anything that breaths oxygen, since it contains none.

Sure you can breath it, but no oxygen is getting to your brain, so you may as well be breathing water. Wait, water contains oxygen but it does a number on your lungs :wink:

Twice now I have found two different Praying Mantises on the head of my current tiki in progress. They eat anything that dares to land on it.

Depending on the size I have heard of putting it in an air tight bag and putting it in a freezer.

The only piece of bug infested wood I had I tossed. Why take the chance of having yur house become infested, or the house of the person who buys the tiki.

This idea is mildly dangerous, for the tiki and the palapas & especially the house. So be careful!!

I was BBQing last night and noticed a termite wing float by. I checked my surrounding outdoor tikis and found some termites. I have two kinds. :)

If your tikis are small enough and/or BBQ big enough throw the tikis on the grill for a couple hours. You'll want core temp to be around 150. That is hard to check. However, it takes less time and money if you're are just cooking your Indo tikis.

"Excessive heat kills drywood termites by disrupting cellular membranes and denaturing enzymes needed for their survival." This should work for those little black beetles as well.

Erik the Red

Since we are on the bug subject, what about carpenter bees ?
I have had a problem with these on only one of my tiki's.
Seems they keep returning.

No bugs like the cold! If you have the space, stick them in the freezer for a few days. They will die - but they may return, so be prepared.

On 2010-10-12 10:27, Kino wrote:
Since we are on the bug subject, what about carpenter bees ?
I have had a problem with these on only one of my tiki's.
Seems they keep returning.

Carpenter bees usually return to where they were born. The "one" tiki smells like home I suppose.
Here is a link.
http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

Erik the Red