POWDER POST BEETLE CONTROL

This article is about powder post beetle control. WE will explain why they are a pest and what needs to be done for controlling infestations. Most of your questions will be answered in the article. After you have read the article please call us at 800-726-0708 and ask for Dave Carter, Jr. or email us at dlcarter@alhloghomes.com with any questions.

If you are looking for information about any other insects, check out our other articles.

Most people fear that termites will infest their home and this fear leads them to spend thousands of dollars on pest control to prevent this from happening. Yes, it is true that termites may find a meal at your house. But

they are not the only pests ready to eat your house. Powder Post Beetles, Old House Borers and decay Fungus can and do cause damage to thousands of homes throughout the United States. In this article, we will try to explain these threats and offer ways to control the problem.

Before we get to the different areas, I would like to explain some general biology of these pests. By understanding their life cycle, you will be able to understand why certain treatments are used for control. Please remember this article is not intended to discuss in great detail the different species of wood destroying organisms you may encounter. We have described the general biology that pertains to many species and subspecies so you will be able to understand these types of insects better. Time periods for development, longevity of infestation, specific behaviors and reproduction cycles are only outlined with the intention of giving you information so you can determine whether or not you have such pests, how you should treat the infestation and what products to use. The scope of this article is to provide the basic facts and guidelines so individuals inclined to do their own pest control may do so with confidence in what they doing, why they are doing it and what type of product to use.

Although an unprotected structure is a target for unwanted pests, powder post beetle infestations are more likely to be in wood that is used for construction. This includes wood used for log homes, conventional homes. Most wood today is milled, kiln dried and sometimes even treated. However, the egg and pupae stages of these insects seem to prevail. Powder Post beetles have many sub species, which have different timetables for development. They all start from eggs, but the time it takes for the egg to go through its stages varies on the species. It is not uncommon for wood used to construct a log home to have adults emerging any time from one to ten years later! This wide range of development further complicates diagnosis time and may lead you to ignore the severity of the problem.

The cycle, like any other insect, is egg, larva, pupa and then adult. When the egg hatches, a little grub crawls out which eats cellulose. This grub is what causes all the damage. Once it gets its fill, it will undergo metamorphosis and then emerge as the adult. If powder post beetles are what you have, expect to see tiny little holes and in some cases channels where they have chewed they're way through the wood. In most cases, it is the adult emerging which people witness. First they see a fine powder, like talc powder, and then they see small holes.

These holes are actually exit holes where the adult has left. A trained eye is usually capable of finding the adults, as they tend to accumulate around windows and lighted areas. They are small, about 1/8 "and appear to be reddish brown in color. It is not unusual for an infestation to generate several hundred of these adults during a short period of time. They are seeking a good place to mate and lay eggs to continue their cycle.

Old house borers are larger and therefore create larger exit holes. They are most likely in softwoods such as pine. Their cycle is like powder post beetles in that the larva is what does the damage. Their exit holes are larger and oval in shape. Expect to find them in attics and crawl spaces. There are many species of old house borers and they come in several colors and sizes. Their holes will vary accordingly. Their cycle is the same as powder post beetles and treatment must stop the larva for complete control.

To solve either problem, you must stop the larva. Using a product that penetrates wood does this. The material you use needs to do two things. First, it needs to be able to penetrate into the wood. The larva stages of these pests develop from the inside out. To control them, you need to get where they start. The second key to control is using a product that will last. Although it is easy to kill the larva that are feeding, eggs that hatch months or years later must be killed. A product with a long residual effect like "Penetrate" or "Timber Saver" will provide such control. This residual effect will stop the current infestation as well as protect against new invaders should they find their way to your home.

Now that you have a basic understanding of these pests and how they develop, lets examine more specifically the type of infestation you are experiencing.

Log Home problems and treatments.

Log homes are being constructed throughout the United States in record numbers. These homes are prone to natural attack as nature tries to recycle the dead cellulose. These recyclers are ever present and represent themselves in the form of carpenter bees, carpenter ants, termites, and decay fungus and powder post beetles. Although a lot lumber companies and log home construction companies are treating wood before construction, there appears to be infestations still active which leads to problems years later. At this point the logs have usually been treated with exterior stains that will make treating them difficult.

If an infestation is discovered after construction, the use of a penetrating material such as "Penetreat" or "Timber Saver" that has the ability to penetrate 2-4 inches of wood and will be lethal to wood ingesting larva. It lasts a long time and acts as a stomach poison to feeding larva. It will quickly stop the chewing, but adults may still be seen for a while until all developing pupa have hatched. Borates need untreated wood surfaces in order to penetrate. If the wood has been finish, don't waste your time trying to treat. The borate won't penetrate through the finish. Even though it may penetrate up to 4 inches in untreated wood, it will help if you are able to treat on both sides of the logs. This will insure maximum coverage and penetration. Borate is absorbed into the wood, and takes about 48 hours to penetrate. This means that it doesn't prove to be a major inconvenience to the homeowner waiting for it to dry. But if the home has a exterior finish on the outside and nothing on the inside, you may have to treat the inside several times and hope that you can get deep penetration.

Even though you may only see a small area where exit holes exist, try to treat as much of the home as possible. Many times a spot treatment will resolve a problem area but then other areas of the home are found to be infested. To insure complete protection, treat as much as you can. Remember, the adults emerging are only a symptom of the problem. The problem is there is larva in the wood feeding. You could only treat the area where the adults have emerged, but this would prove to be short sighted. A better approach is to apply as much product as needed to treat the entire area that may have activity. This will save you money and time in the long run.

Many professional applicators like to use the borate powder when treating for borers and powder post beetles. It costs less to use than liquid borate products and works faster. If you have logs you want to protect that do not have insect activity, you should use powdered borate. It is relatively safe compared to many household cleansers and detergents. The product has no odor and cleanup is very easy. Both products can be applied with a standard garden sprayer, but be sure to use one which has a spray pattern which is flat and sprays a swath that is similar to using a paint brush. This insures uniform coverage and equal distribution. Many spray tips are not as fine and the application is rough and splattered. For most standard insecticide applications, this is acceptable but for Borates, you need equal distribution.


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