POWDERPOST BEETLE INFESTATION INFORMATION & FACTS

Commonly found in the home, powderpost beetles are woodboring pests. They commonly damage wood furniture and structures. You are more likely to see the damage caused by powderpost beetles than the pests themselves. The only signs of infestation are the exit holes made by the adults in the surface of the wood and the powdered frass (a mixture of feces and wood fragments) they leave behind.

Adult powderpost beetles grow to be 3 to 6 mm in length. Their colour varies from reddish-brown to dark brown.

There are three main families of powderpost beetles:

• Lyctid powderpost beetles
• Anobiid powderpost beetles
• False powderpost beetles

Lyctid powderpost beetles and anobiid powderpost beetles are the most destructive of the powderpost family. Lyctid powderpost beetles will attack wood products manufactured from hardwoods. Anobiids will infest all the same places as lyctid beetles, as well as in structural wood, such as beams and joists.

Female powderpost beetles lay their eggs in the pores and tiny cracks in the wood. Wood type, moisture content and temperature are all factors that contribute to how long it takes for the larvae to grow to adulthood.

For small infestations, removing the infested wood may be enough to eliminate the problem. However, if you continue to see holes in wood furniture elsewhere or the infestation is in hard to reach places such as behind panels or walls, more extreme measures may be needed.

While insecticides are widely available, they might not penetrate enough to kill the larvae that burrow deep inside the wood. Your best bet for complete powderpost beetle treatment & removal is to call Environmental Pest Control. Their licensed technicians will thoroughly inspect your home and get rid of your beetle infestation.