Arrested Development - Ex-Pats Mexico

Sounds like carpenter ants. The beams may have degraded over time and carpenter ants love rotted wood. Also look for tiny pinholes with fine wood powder. Powderpost beetles attack hardwoods.

Jonna:

I may have an idea to solve this issue. We are currently importing a line of wood furniture that is manufactured in Patzcuaro and made from resawn old timbers and beams from barns and mansions in that area. They use a fumigation product approved by USDA, etc. on all of their finished furniture. This product comes in aerosol canisters(bombs) and they set them off in a sealed room with the furniture. The recommended period is 48 hours but to be on the safe side, they allow 72 hours. I believe that this is the same process that they use when fumigating pallets and wood packing crates as required by the US Govt. for importation. It would require the sealing up of each area for application and a 48 to 72 hour vacancy period.

While I cannot remember the exact name of the product, I am sure that we can get the name and source if this is of interest to you.

As an aside to this discussion, it is interesting to note that the U.S. Govt. regs requiring the fumigation of all wood packing materials and pallets is strictly adhered to. On the other hand, they do not check any of the rustica Mexican furniture, Equiplales or virtually any other wood product for fumigation! Naturally none of them would contain any type of invasive insect! In that the furniture manufacturer in Patzcuaro is an American, he voluntarily performs the fumigation on all of his products.

I would like to know the Spanish name of the product. I might decide to set them off in the house with the problem beams before we move in.

I will contact our furniture supplier to get as much info as possible for you. From his explanation, it is safe to be around after treatment. I believe he indicated that it is the same product that they use on fruits and veggies upon importation but I may be wrong about that.

Hey Jonna, I was at a hardwood lumber dealer the other day and wound up buying, apart from the wood I went to buy, a bundle of 4/4 (1 inch) German beech. Now I need to make something out of it to show to customers. The wood is very nicely milled, (what else do you expect from the Germans?) S3S at a full 1 inch and clear both sides.

The price by bundle was very reasonable.

That's probably what mine is then, I really love the look. Nice grain and whatever he finished it with, it has held up really well.