| Powder Post Beetles – Lyctidae |
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 True Powderpost Beetles(Lyctidae) The larvae of all powder post beetles reduce timbers to a mass of very fine, powder-like substance. The adults do very little of the damage. You can easily recognize the work of powder post beetles. When the adults emerge, usually in June, some species leave small holes about the size of a pin in the surface of the wood; others make holes the size of pencil lead. From these holes, a fine, powder like brood of larvae carry on their destructive feeding. Normally, these insects have a 1-year life cycle; this means that the adults will appear only once each year. And because of this habit the larvae have a feeding period of many months. The adults are very small, less than 1/4" in size. They are flattened and reddish-brown to black in color. Larvae are white, cream colored, shaped with dark brown heads. Larvae create tunnels in the wood and become pupae. As adults they bore out through the wood, pushing a fine powdery dust out. The shape of their holes are round ,about 1/32-1/16 pinholes. Powder Post Beetles attack hardwoods, depositing their eggs. True Powder post beetles breed in dead and dried hardwoods such as the dead branches and limbs of trees. Their presence is overlooked until they are discovered in stored lumber, rafters, joists, finished wood, and furniture products. As a rule, they enter lumber while it is being stored and cured, then later, emerge from the finished product. Old items of furniture and wood antiques are especially vulnerable to attack by the beetles. Damage is usually to the starch-rich sapwood of large-pored hardwoods such as ash, hickory, oak, walnut and cherry. The hardwood floors of new homes are commonly attacked This wood-boring beetle is the most widespread in the United States. Many times pest infestations are built into structures from infested lumber .They can easily re-infest. Lycid damage is characterized by: Presence of extremely fine, flour like powder falling from the surface holes. The debris left by other wood borers usually contains pellets, has a course texture and a tendency to stick together. When inspecting damage, be sure to distinguish old damage from active beetle infestations. Recently formed holes and debris are light in color and clear in appearance....old holes and debris are dark in color. Adios Pest Control is your local San Diego pest control company, including Chula Vista and all of San Diego county; we provide complete pest control services. |
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