Powder Post Beetles

It is very likely that at one time or another many home owners surrounded by or their property lines are near forests; have seen evidence of powder-post beetle damage in the timbers of old barns, camps, outbuildings, or in stored furniture or other items built of untreated, seasoned wood. Recognition and proper identification of these tiny insects is necessary to understand why this wood-in-service was susceptible to attack. Termites and beetles comprise the major insect groups capable of destroying seasoned wood.This article will discuss two of the more common families of powder-post beetles, so called because in the course of feeding they reduce wood to a very fine dust or powder. When the grubs complete development they transform into adults that emerge from infested material leaving behind tiny, round holes on the surface of the wood, called shot-holes or pin holes. Seasoned wood is a precarious habitat where it is difficult for an insect to make a living. It is a very dry, compact environment. Generally, any moisture that is present is chemically bound and is only available to the insect when the wood is digested. The compactness of this material means relatively little wood is digested, and energy gained in digestion is small relative to the energy expended to consume the wood. Additionally, seasoned wood contains very little available nitrogen, a necessary source of protein for insect growth and development.

Furniture Beetles belong to the family Anobiidae (an-no-bee-i-dee). Adults are 0.1′ to 0.3′ long, cylindrical and reddish to dark brown. When the beetle is viewed from the top, its head is entirely hidden by the hood-like second body segment. Many members of this group are found outdoors in seasoned wood such as fence posts or dead, but still solid, parts of trees that have been damaged by a skidder, ice or wind. Other species are pests of dried vegetable products such as cereals and tobacco. The latter are known by common names like drugstore beetle, cigarette beetle and deathwatch beetle. The white, humpbacked, grublike larvae may be as much as 0.5″ long or shorter than 0.1″ and have well developed legs. The woodinhabiting members of this family feed on seasoned sapwood of both conifers (needlebearing trees) and hardwoods.
The Powder Post Beetles

The fact that females require openings for egg-laying means that treating with paint, varnish, stain, or oil to fill cracks and openings will prevent attack (the beetles will not lay eggs on smooth surfaces). For active infestations, repeated application of certain contact insecticides or fumigants may be necessary to eliminate the problem. See article II for continuation of Powder Post Beetles next week.

If your experiencing problems with powder-post beetles or other annoying insects contact a professional exterminator.