COMMON PESTS
Powder Post Beetles
Powder Post Beetles are small, reddish-brown insects that attack lumber and by feeding on feeding on the wood, reduce the wood to powder. True powder post beetles attack the sapwood of freshly cut hardwoods such as ash, hickory, oak, walnut and similar species. Adult power post beetles lay eggs in the open pores of the sapwood and the larvae burrow through the wood creating tunnels packed with fine, powder-like sawdust. After a few months to a year or longer (depending on the species) the larvae transform to adults and the new beetles emerge through small (1/16 inch) round holes in the wood surface. Varnished and cured lumber are not attacked, nor are soft woods such as pine, spruce, and fir used for house framing.
Powder post beetles are only active in wood with adequate moisture (from 8-32% moisture content) and starch (greater thane 3%). Therefore, most powder post beetle infestations naturally disappear within a few years as moisture and starch content decrease. Presence of the fine powder sifting from wood does not prove that powder post beetle are still active within the wood, as sawdust continues to vibrate from exit holes long after the infestation has ceased.
An active infestation of powder post beetles can be determined by finding adult beetles within the structure, observing fresh sawdust at exit holes, or by plugging all existing exit holes in a small area (approximately one square foot) and observing additional unplugged exit holes 6-12 months later. Thick latex paint is an easy way to plug exit holes in the surface of rough lumber. Otherwise, colored wood filler can be used.
If an active infestation is determined, your control options include discarding or replacing damaged wood or treating with an insecticide. Currently there are no insecticides available to homeowners for powder post beetle control. However, SAWYER can provide services to treat a powder post beetle infestation.
Powder Post Beetles are small, reddish-brown insects that attack lumber and by feeding on feeding on the wood, reduce the wood to powder. True powder post beetles attack the sapwood of freshly cut hardwoods such as ash, hickory, oak, walnut and similar species. Adult power post beetles lay eggs in the open pores of the sapwood and the larvae burrow through the wood creating tunnels packed with fine, powder-like sawdust. After a few months to a year or longer (depending on the species) the larvae transform to adults and the new beetles emerge through small (1/16 inch) round holes in the wood surface. Varnished and cured lumber are not attacked, nor are soft woods such as pine, spruce, and fir used for house framing.
Powder post beetles are only active in wood with adequate moisture (from 8-32% moisture content) and starch (greater thane 3%). Therefore, most powder post beetle infestations naturally disappear within a few years as moisture and starch content decrease. Presence of the fine powder sifting from wood does not prove that powder post beetle are still active within the wood, as sawdust continues to vibrate from exit holes long after the infestation has ceased.
An active infestation of powder post beetles can be determined by finding adult beetles within the structure, observing fresh sawdust at exit holes, or by plugging all existing exit holes in a small area (approximately one square foot) and observing additional unplugged exit holes 6-12 months later. Thick latex paint is an easy way to plug exit holes in the surface of rough lumber. Otherwise, colored wood filler can be used.
If an active infestation is determined, your control options include discarding or replacing damaged wood or treating with an insecticide. Currently there are no insecticides available to homeowners for powder post beetle control. However, SAWYER can provide services to treat a powder post beetle infestation.
