I scrounged some Silver Maple and there was other wood near it, similar color bark but different pattern. I did cut some and it split pretty easy and is Not very heavy. I did not take much once I decided it may be willow. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I thought it might be, however it split easy and seemed lighter than similar sized oak. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That's the opposite of willow. Go get all of it. Right now. It's not heavy because its dead and probably already dry enough to go in the stove.
Drop everything and go fetch it up. I am sure you will now know Black Locust when you see it. I have never come across any myself. Hope it's still there for you.
I took everyone’s advice this morning and went back and got more. I did pretty good. Between the locust and maple I filled the 6’ bed of my truck. Between the 2 days I probably got a 1/4 cord locust. Some of it does have ant damage. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
For the future, look at the picture (your picture) below and notice how close together the growth rings are. That is a big clue. If willow, they would have been much further apart. Hope this is helpful.
Everytime I get black locust that's been on the ground for any length of time it always seems to have some sort of bug problem. The resistance to rot and btus make up for it though. Nice score.
Thanks to EVERYONE for their identification and motivation. Black locust is the one common local species that I hadn’t scored any of. Now I can cross off that one. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Yes, now that it's winter, many times I find the centers full of frozen ant clusters. Well I guess rot resistance and bug resistance are two different things.
The Locust I got last year didnt have a single ant in it. About 2 cords worth. The stuff that Midwinter and I got this fall had had a crapload of ants. I actually stl have a small handful of half rounds left to final split and stack. When they start pouring out I toss them over to the other side of the creek to let the ants disperse.
Yeah Mwalsh9152 I wish I had a creek like that to use your option. Most Black Locust I get is free and clear of bugs, but every once in a while they are packed with those dormant or even frozen clusters of ants. It happens with other wood too, but I think we see it more with black locust because of its more stable rot resistant qualities. The ants can colonies in nests that will be around for many many years giving their colonies a chance to grow where alternatively if they took residence in another species of wood it would begin to rot and fall apart sending them migrating out or on the move. I have gotten them before in Elm and Ash as well but not in scary numbers as with the black locust. When I split a log and those clusters start appear I have no choice but to knock them out of the log and smash them because with my small property I cant take a chance letting them colonies my yard and home.