Ok so I found a worm in a reed today....Seriously!!!!

[Finnerski]

Yes it is a termite, you only see one egg but there's probably more. I would get that box out of your house, they can spread like wildfire.

[jjq587]

Post those photos on the FaceBook of Vandoren to see how they explain

That sounds like a great idea! I will put it there once I get back on the computer

[SchlockRod]

You know, when I buy vegetables I'm much happier when I find dirt, bugs, & worms than when I get a plastic bag with, say, sterile-plastic-looking "baby carrots" in it.
The bugs, dirt & worms say "pesticide-free". I throw all that stuff in a pot for stew, soup, whatever.
But I guess you can't boil reeds. I heard it ruins them.

[adamk]

It's a boring or powder post beetle. When you see old furniture with tiny holes that's them. When you shake the wood powder comes out which is whats left of their chomping. They're incredibly destructive and hard to get rid of. Absolutely don't let them near any other reeds or wood for that matter. Freezing them for a week supposedly kills them, but I don't know. In the late 70's my father bought a bunch of carved Mexican wooden Day of the Dead masks. Many had the bugs. I took them to an exterminator who stashed them under termite tarps and sqirted them several times over a week's time with poison gas, didn't phase them. Microwaving should work if your wooden piece can stand it.

[jjq587]

Oh boy....that's for the info adamk I actually had put the reed in the freezer earlier and after reading your post just put the rest of the box in there to be safe...gah, I hope none of them got out of there when I took the reed out.

[daigle65]

How could the bug have survived in the individually sealed reed packet with no air?

[milandro]

Interesting and I am sure that Vandoren would be even more interested.

If this doesn't come from an old pack they will probably decide to fill the sealed pack with nitrogen rather than just sealing them with air in it. Insects need air to survive but can do with very little.
On the positive side this is the proof that Vandoren reeds aren't treated with too many noxious chemicals!

Maybe this helps http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef616.asp
http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Powd.../brunneus.html

[Jazzaferri]

Some bugs Are dormant for years

Post and burn if you are cautious. Post and soak in pure ethyl alcohol for a week or so if you are really cheap or broke. Use only ethyl alcohol fit for human consumption

[Butters]

That sounds like a great idea! I will put it there once I get back on the computer

Its got to be a rare occurrence. Shouldn't you wait until they mishandle the situation before dropping a bad publicity bomb on them?

[daigle65]

In my 30 years of playing I've never come across a bug infested reed. I've never even heard of an incident like this before now, regardless of brand.

[warp x]

Its got to be a rare occurrence. Shouldn't you wait until they mishandle the situation before dropping a bad publicity bomb on them?

Yes. It's the first time I see something like this. I thought those beetles liked wood, not grass.
In any case, work it out with Vandoren first. They may even give you a new box of reeds, who knows. I'm sure they will be interested.

[bari_sax_diva]

I would get in touch with Vandoren and give them a chance to make it right for you. I had a problem with a ligature once, and a phone call to Dansr got an immediate replacement with a prepaid label to ship the old one back with (they wanted the QC guys in France to examine it). They appear to take their product quality very seriously.

[adamk]

Those beetles and termites like softer woods, but will feast on hardwood if nothing else is available. The wood has to be dry and seasoned which reeds become in a short time. I have reeds growing next door, I'll look for the bad beatles in the dry ones.

[windman53]

In the saying, whole worm is better than half worm.

my suggestion, get rid of the whole box.

[jjq587]

Yea I was going to but realized there was no reason to do so at this point.

[bari_sax_diva]

If you toss the reeds, keep the packaging. If there's a lot number or date on there somewhere, it'll help Vandoren determine whether this is a freak occurrence or a bigger problem that they need to address.

[milandro]

the early bird catches...........the early worm!

[windman53]

sometime, it is the soucre of the bamboo which has problem. bug Eggs can survive for more than a year if the bamboo is not properly clean and sterilize.

I can just say, my frined, you are the lucky one. usually the worse I have seen with my own eyes was fungus. I always try to keep them for a while to see if the mushroom will comes out.
But you got life worms, which much cooler than my fungus, so consider yourself the lucky one.

[milandro]

but of course you know that cane is not bamboo...........

[windman53]

Yes, that is right, i should not say bamboo, I should say plants. Thanks for remind me ^.^