Ambalangoda Kaduru wood seasoning: kitchen rafter smoking against powderpost beetles?

Carving traditional Sri Lankan ritual masks requires timber from Gith Niyanda or Kaduru (Alstonia macrophylla / scholaris). Fresh green Kaduru is lightweight and easily chiseled, but its sap is rich in natural starches that attract wood-boring powderpost beetles (Lyctinae). Master carvers cure rough green logs on suspended bamboo racks (Duma) directly above traditional wood-fired kitchen hearths for 3 to 6 months. Hot wood smoke containing acetic acid, formaldehyde, and creosote compounds penetrates deep into timber pores, breaking down starches into unpalatable complexes while drying the wood to 10% moisture without radial checking.