Wood eating bugs eating guitar!! Help!!

[doclivy]

Originally Posted by mirwa

Customs do it all the time, that I why I recommended you reach out to them, they will have places they use and recommend.

Alternatively anyone that does industrial xrays will be able to zap it for you as well

OK, I will contact Customs. Thank you for the suggestion! I'll let you know what they say.

Greg

[redir]

Of course a bigger problem for you now is that they may have migrated inside your house.

[doclivy]

Originally Posted by redir

Of course a bigger problem for you now is that they may have migrated inside your house.

Yeah, I have been worrying about that possibility. I'm hoping that they are all dead and that there are no eggs, but who knows. Ugh

[Alan Carruth]

The bugs need air to breath. Get some dry ice and close up the guitar in a plastic bag with a piece. Leave it closed up for some time; these could be 'live slow-die slow' beasties. Don't let the dry ice touch the guitar, of course; you're after the CO2, not the cold.

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by Alan Carruth

The bugs need air to breath. Get some dry ice and close up the guitar in a plastic bag with a piece. Leave it closed up for some time; these could be 'live slow-die slow' beasties. Don't let the dry ice touch the guitar, of course; you're after the CO2, not the cold.

I really like this one; safe, cheap and effective.

[maxtheaxe]

Personally, I don't think I would use mothballs; I expect that, whatever the results, the guitar will smell like that from here on out.

I've never had insect issues with guitars per se, but when I've had insect troubles around home...ants, powder post beetles, etc, I've used a solution of cedar oil and water...they all seem to hate that.

Another good one is basil oil (has a mild licorice odor), also diluted with water. Either one seems less likely to damage the French polish and they work pretty well.

I got used to using these because I just hate the idea of spraying neurotoxic chems all over the place.

[doclivy]

Originally Posted by Alan Carruth

The bugs need air to breath. Get some dry ice and close up the guitar in a plastic bag with a piece. Leave it closed up for some time; these could be 'live slow-die slow' beasties. Don't let the dry ice touch the guitar, of course; you're after the CO2, not the cold.

Thanks, Alan. I spoke to a couple pest control specialists and one of them happens to play guitar and he was super helpful. He also suggested dry ice in a heavy-duty contractor's plastic bag. I'm going to test it out on some French-polished wood samples that my luthier friend gave me and if I can manage to do it without trashing the samples then I'll have a go with the guitar. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Thanks!
Greg

[doclivy]

Originally Posted by maxtheaxe

Personally, I don't think I would use mothballs; I expect that, whatever the results, the guitar will smell like that from here on out.

I've never had insect issues with guitars per se, but when I've had insect troubles around home...ants, powder post beetles, etc, I've used a solution of cedar oil and water...they all seem to hate that.

Another good one is basil oil (has a mild licorice odor), also diluted with water. Either one seems less likely to damage the French polish and they work pretty well.

I got used to using these because I just hate the idea of spraying neurotoxic chems all over the place.

Yeah, the pest control folks also said mothballs would be a bad idea because the odor would linger and they may not actually kill the bugs. CO's (dry ice) and a couple pesticides were recommended. I'll be experimenting on the aforementioned wood samples to see what seems safe and I'll report back.

Thanks!
Greg