Old beer crates

[thebuddrik]

I have got some 100 year old beer crates that I wanted to turn into lamp tables. The only problem is I know they have had insects living in them at one time and possibly termites. Is there any way to save them? Any treatment to make sure that everything in them is dead besides burning them?

[aleguy]

There is a way to kill everything in the wood. They do it to get rid of woodworm in antique furniture. It's expensive though. If they have had termites in them they're probably not worth saving since those things don't leave much behind but a shell.
If there's nothing in them now, my best suggestion would be to soak them in a borate solution for a couple of weeks and then air dry them for a year or so. Nothing much will bother them after that. Not even mold.

[Jerm]

If they fit in your oven, set it as low as it will go... say 150º.. let them sit in there for an hour and anything living will be dead for sure.