Homeowners Guide To Powder Post Beetles

March 26, 2018

In: Powder Post Beetles

When the top wood-destroying insects are being discussed, people are usually talking about the carpenter ant and the termite, and this is for good reason. Both can cause serious structural damages to the properties that they are invading and cost homeowners thousands of dollars in repair. However, there is another wood-destroying pest that is often overlooked even though they have the potential to cause just as much damage as the termite and carpenter ant - the powder post beetle. If you have never heard of the powder post beetle, don’t worry, most people haven’t! However, it is important to become educated about these pests, learn why they should never be overlooked or dismissed, and know how to prevent problems with them inside of your home. 

Let’s begin by going over exactly what these lesser-known but still destructive wood-destroying pests look like. And it is important to note here that you are much more likely to see the signs of an infestation rather than the insects themselves. But just in case it ever comes up, the adult powder post beetles have an oval slender body, are reddish brown in color, and are 1/8th to 1/4 of an inch in length. Their larvae are c-shaped and cream in color. 

Now, onto the signs of an infestation, the ways that most people discover that they have a problem with these wood-eating insects inside of their home. The larvae are the stage of development that causes the most damage, after emerging from their egg, the larvae begin feeding on the wood, creating damaging tunnels throughout it and basically pulverizing it into a fine powder-like substance. After the larvae develop into an adult they create a small hole in the surface of the wood and emerge from it. These exit holes and the fine sawdust that they kick out of them are the most common ways that homeowners learn that they have a problem with these destructive pests inside of their home. 

To prevent powder post beetles from choosing your home to infest, the professionals at American Pest Solutions offer some easy to follow prevention tips. Implementing these prevention tips is a great way to help stop a full-blown powder post beetles infestation from occurring inside of your home and to prevent damages to your personal property and your home's structure. 

Powder post beetle prevention tips:

• If possible don’t introduce older wood or barn wood into your home, these older pieces of wood could be infested with powder post beetle eggs or larvae. 

• Wood that is used inside your home should always be painted, stained or treated in some manner, unfinished bare wood attracts powder post beetles. 

• Make sure that crawl spaces are properly ventilated to help make sure that powder post beetles are not attracted to your property. 

• Place dehumidifiers in basement areas to reduce humidity levels inside of your home.

• Adult powder post beetles are attracted to light and can often be found congregating around windows and doorways. To help stop them from being attracted to your home, consider switching out white outdoor lights to yellow or LED outdoor lights. 

If you are concerned that destructive powder post beetles have invaded your home don’t delay, contact the powder post beetle experts at American Pest Solutions. We have the experience needed to find, treat, and completely eliminate a current infestation. We can then stop a re-infestation from happening inside of your home by implementing our year-round Pest Guard Home Pest Control plan. Don’t let your home become damaged by any wood-destroying insect, contact us today to discover how we can help to protect your home from termites, carpenter ants, and of course the powder post beetle!