How to Effectively Get Rid of Powderpost Beetles

Powderpost beetles are usually found in our homes. They are wood pests that destroy furniture, and wooden floors. Some of these beetles prefer hardwoods while others prefer to damage softwoods. To notice their presence, you will see small round holes that range from pencil tip size to larger sizes with floor like powder coming out of the wooden structures

Appearance

When they become adults, powderpost beetles are tube-shaped in size. In length, they range from 3 to 6 mm long. They have two pairs of wings, and their head has two short clubbed antennae. Their antenna can distinguish them from other beetles that are same in size and shape. They are brownish in color, though it varies from reddish-brown to dark brown. Their larvae are white and spotless. In their shape, larvae are C-shaped and are wider at the front as compared to the backs.

Effective Control and Prevention of Powderpost Beetles

To effectively control these beetles from your home, you first need to know how they access the house. Powderpost beetles enter the home in finished wood products. These include panels, furniture, and ornaments. If the wood is not properly stored outdoors, there is more likelihood that it will be infested by these insects. Wood that has overstayed has the highest probability of being the habitat of these beetles.

To avoid providing suitable habitats for these insects, you need to ensure that pieces of wooden products you purchase are made from kiln dried wood. If the furniture or wooden products are not kiln-dried, they should at least be varnished or sanded.

The following tips are useful in prevention:

• Wood inspection before purchase- It is important that you inspect any pieces of wood you want to purchase. You should check for visible holes and dampness that indicate a high probability of infestation by these destructive insects.
• Usage of pre-treated wood, it is advisable that you use wood that has been treated with pesticides. Wood preservatives are equally acceptable in these cases.

Surface Treatment

Pesticides containing “borate” can also be used to offer wood surface treatment. The pesticide is able to penetrate into the wood and kill insects in the wood as well as those entering into the same wood. Additionally, Bocare and Timbor present in borate can prevent larvae present in wood from damaging them in the future as adults.

Here is a simple procedure to get rid of powderpost beetles:

• Mix the product according to the instructions displayed on the label of the pesticide.
• Spray or slowly brush the mixture onto the wood surface. This creates a poisonous barrier that keeps these insects away from attacking the wood.

Surface treatment pesticides are highly effective. They can be safely applied on any bare wood surfaces. Sills, rafters, studs and subfloor are all appropriate treatment surfaces. However, it is advisable that you first sand finished wood surfaces before applying surface pesticide treatment.

Fumigation

U-Spray Inc. said, “Fumigation is another highly effective method of getting rid of these insects.” It is a pest control method that uses gaseous pesticide to effectively fill a confined partition to suffocate pests present in that area. Fumigation should, however, be treated as the last option since it is expensive, has to be administered by an authorized pest control professional and does not prevent future infestations.

Electrical Insect Killers

The electrical insect killers are made in such a way that they can attract and kill adult beetles just before they can breed. They are however not a very effective treatment method since they may be used with other chemical treatments.

Freezing Treatments

These destructive insects can also be frozen using frozen treatments. They, however, take some considerable amount of time before they can be effective and are known to have some damages. They are also expensive. Under this method, you can also use low – oxygen treatment which however is also costly and takes a considerable amount of time-up to two months.

No method can be said to be foolproof when it comes to getting rid of the powderpost beetle infestation. However, applying of paint, or varnish to untreated wood may help stem their infestation. The secret behind keeping furniture from these insects is keeping wood at a moisture level of below 12 percent. This can only be achieved by coming up with moisture barriers into the spaces invested by the insects.