![]() Plywood fabricated from hardwood veneers may be attacked, but damage is usually confined to the hardwood layer in which eggs were initially laid since the larvae tend to avoid glues and resins. Articles made from bamboo are commonly infested as well. Tropical hardwoods are especially prone to lyctid infestation because of poor storage and drying practices before importation. Lyctids do not normally infest structural building components (studs, joists, beams, etc.) since these usually consist of non-vulnerable softwoods (conifers/evergreens). Consequently, infestations are often associated with flooring, paneling, molding, window and doorframes, and furniture. Lyctid powderpost beetles attack only wood products manufactured from hardwood (broadleaf) trees such as oak, ash, walnut, hickory, poplar or cherry. The powdery dust feels like flour or fine talc, and often accumulates in small piles beneath or beside emergence holes. Their emergence holes are round and about the size of a pinhead. Lyctid powderpost beetles are small (1/16-1/4 inch), narrow and elongated, reddish-brown to black beetles (Figure 2). Each group contains several species capable of damaging wood materials. The three most destructive groups of powderpost beetles are the lyctids, anobiids, and bostrichids. 1: Powderpost beetles produce small round holes accompanied by wood powder. Occasionally, the beetles may be found near damaged wood, or on windowsills since some are attracted to light.įig. Customers are more likely to see damage, rather than the beetles themselves, because the adults are cryptic and active mainly at night. The eggs hatch into tiny larvae that bore into the wood, emerging as adults one to five years later, usually during late winter, spring or summer depending upon species. Newly emerged adults mate and lay eggs on or below the surface of bare, unfinished wood. These are exit holes where adult beetles have chewed out of the wood after completing their development. Infestations typically are discovered after noticing powder, accompanied by small, round “shot holes” in the wood surface. Tunneling and larval development take place entirely below the wood surface. The developing grub-like larvae inflict damage as they create narrow, meandering tunnels in wood as they feed. “Powderpost beetle” is a term used to describe several species of small (1/8-3/4 inch long) insects that reduce wood to a flour-like powder (Figure 1). This publication explains how to make those determinations. As a result, the pests may cause considerable confusion for homeowners, wood suppliers, manufacturers, builders, and even pest control companies. Mistakes also are made in determining whether the infestation is active, and if so, how it should be managed. And yet, customers often receive conflicting opinions about whether the insects and/or damage they are seeing is indeed due to powderpost beetles. Powderpost beetles are second only to termites in their ability to damage dry, seasoned wood. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture If the paper hasn't been moved, it's safe to close up the access point.ENTFACT-616: Powderpost Beetles | Download PDF by Michael F. Finally, if you go the DIY route, before you seal up the squirrels' entry point, stuff it with crumpled-up newspaper and wait a few days. As well, some studies have found that capsaicin, the compound in peppers that makes them hot, has a deterrent effect on squirrels. ![]() Or you can encourage them to move elsewhere by eliminating their food sources and making access more difficult (for instance, trimming back tree branches and installing specially made guards on wires that lead to the house). Once they've made it inside, you have two options: You can call in a professional to trap and remove them, and then seal up their entry points. You may enjoy watching the antics of these lively, agile critters, but you won’t appreciate the holes they chew through wiring, ducts, and insulation if they find their way into your attic and walls.
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