Utilization of Beetle-Killed Southern Pine

George Woodson – Prepared under contract with the Forest Service, U.S. Dpearment of Agriculture Forestry Associate Professor, Wood Utilization, School of Forestry, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA.

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report WO-47.

Conclusions

Up to now, beetle-killed timber has been underutilized because its value has been misjudged. Reluctance on the part of timber buyers to use such material has left mill managers with the option of either suppressing prices or refusing to process this type of wood. But recent research has shown that beetle-killed pulpwood and sawtimber can be utilized for a wide variety of wood products (table 3) if trees are harvested and processed soon after attack. Lumber grade in beetle-killed trees is lower than for healthy ones, but yields of particleboard, hardboard, and pulp are similar for both types. In addition, a lower moisture content makes beetle-killed pine an economical purchase for those who buy wood on a weight basis, since it yields more fiber per dollar than healthy pine. The development of the SAMTAM and SAMTAM II sawmill analysis models now takes the guesswork out of profit and loss determinations in processing beetlekilled logs and can make their increases utilization an attractive option for many wood products.

Table 3 – Utilization guidelines for beetle-killed trees¹

Product	Class A	Class B	Comments
Lumber – appearance	Not recommended	Not recommended	Blue-stain prohibits use.
Lumber – dimension	Can be used with caution	Not recommended	Should be kiln dried to prevent emergence of secondary insects. Low moisture content may dull saws and chipper knives faster than with sound wood and may require milder kiln schedule. Do not use where toughness is important.
Lumber – decorative boards and paneling	Can be used	Can be used	Should be kiln dried.
Posts, poles, piling	Not recommended	Not recommended	Toughness and preservative treatability may be highly variable.
Plywood	Can be used	Not recommended	Adhesive and guiding practices may have to be adjusted.
Hardwood, particleboard, medium density fiberboard.	Can be used	Can be used	Low moisture content may affect some production schedules. Should be mixed with sound wood.
Pulp	Can be used	Can be used	Blue-stain and low moisture content may affect pulping process and chemical or energy requirements. Should be mixed with sound wood, particularly where strength is important.
Fuelwood	Can be used	Can be used	Low moisture content increases heat value.

¹ Source: M.P. Levi, 1981.

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