Piling ice on top actually makes it worse because termites sense the temp drop and just tunnel down into the center of the pile where the decay is already generating heat. That's why your pile was steaming after, the wet wood and trapped warmth basically turned it into a compost reactor. You'd have better luck spreading the wood out in full sun so it dries and heats unevenly, since termites need consistent moisture to survive. Two bags of ice in a Fargo July was never gonna beat a pile that size anyway lol.

Man, Pete sounds like one of those guys who just sees things the rest of us miss. So when he grabbed your saw and moved that top cut back a half inch, did he explain WHY that fixed the hinge, or did he just show you and let you figure it out? I ask because I've had old timers do both, and the ones who explain the physics of it stick with me way longer than the ones who just say "do it this way." Like was it about keeping the hinge wood fibers straight so they bend instead of snap, or was it more about the angle of your gunning cuts lining up? I'm curious if he talked about matching your corners or if he just eyeballed it. Because honestly, a half inch sounds tiny, but on a big maple that's the whole ballgame when it starts drifting.