Bamboo in Thai handicraft product

Bamboo wood is known to be vulnerable to infestation by insects such as the small beetle Dinoderus minutus which if left unchecked will bore into the centre of a culm and reduce the core to powder.

First, the crafted but untreated bamboo is left to thoroughly dry out. It is then smoked in a shed using the smoldering bark of a mango tree. The action of the smoke destroys any parasites and seals the wood for future protection.

The bamboo can be left in the smoking shed for anything from 1 to 3 days depending the desired finish. Lengthier smoking will produce a darker auburn colour.