Do You Have Bugs?

Two types of wood borers that usually attack softwood house logs are commonly known as Flat-headed or Round-headed Wood Borers. The adult of the round-headed borer (larva) are commonly called Pine Sawyers or Long-Horned Beetles. These borers lay eggs in small pits in the bark and the eggs hatch in 2 to 4 weeks. Larva feed for a few weeks just under the bark, boring into the log. These borers feed deeper into the wood as it dries. The life cycle is usually 1 to 2 years, but larvae may feed for at least 6 years when wood moisture is low.  Powderpost beetles are small wood-boring beetles that measure 1/8" to 5/16" long. These beetles attack sapwood of ring-porous and diffuse-porous hardwoods that have a high content of starch. These beetles also reinfest milled lumber. Tell-tale signs of this pest are small piles of fine brown flour-like wood material. Powderpost beetles seem to prefer unheated areas; thus their infestation seems to be more of a problem in seasonal homes. As a preventative measure, the use of borates (see PeneTreat/ Shell-Guard) and coating woods with a finish helps to make infestation more difficult. As a spot treatment insecticides such as Chiorpyrifos (Dursban®) can be injected into holes with a glue syringe.     Carpenter Ants can sometimes be a problem if wood remains moist and wood rot occurs. If they are a problem, treat with PeneTreat or Diazinon insecticide. Also look for the cause of the moisture & try to eliminate it. Carpenter ants can enter a building by way of vegetation that may touch the building. To help prevent this, trim bushes and trees touching the building and watch for rotting stumps that could have rotting root systems underground near your building. Insects do not have to be a problem. Design your building to keep moisture away from it so that moist wood does not encourage insect problems. Stain additives such as CPF-2D and wood treatments also help to deter problems.