What Home Buyers Need To Know About Powder Post Beetles

March 19, 2018


a powderpost beetle crawling on a leaf in the garden

If you are looking to buy a new home, chances are you are concerned about how many bedrooms it has, how many bathrooms, and if it has a garage. You are probably also interested in knowing what the electric bill is going to look like, how big the yard is, and how spacious the closets are. But, something unlikely to be on your radar is powder post beetles. You may be aware of the necessity of having a termite inspection, and you perhaps know about carpenter ants, but you should also be aware of the dangers of having powder post beetles in your new home.

What Are Powder Post Beetles?

Powder post beetles are any of several beetles (family Lycitdae) having larvae that feed in very dry wood or lumber, which reduce the interior to powder. These wood-destroyers are second only to termites in the amount of damages they do to wood annually. They are small, brown insects which are usually less than 1/4 of an inch in length.

Dangers Of Powder Post Beetles

As mentioned above, powder post beetles attack dry wood. They infest hardwood, the same way drywood termites do, this makes them a danger to the fresh wood of a brand new home. And they are the reason many homeowners have their homes treated during construction.

Signs Of Powder Post Beetles

These are difficult insects to detect. The only sign of their larvae's presence inside wood will be tiny pinholes (only measuring around 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch) on the surface of wood, and a powder-like, sand-colored sawdust, called frass, which falls out of these holes. This frass is easily mistaken for other substances such as dust or dirt, which may be why they are able to do so much damage undetected. These beetles can also attack the hardwood of furniture. Not something you want in your home if you have heirlooms or antiques.

What To Do If You Find Your Potential New Home Has These Beetles

If you see the signs of these beetles in a home you wish to buy, you don't have to let these beetles keep you from your purchase. With modern pest control protocols, powder post beetle infestations can be arrested and prevented. Reach out to a certified pest control technician and find out how extensive the damage is.

Here at Aiken Pest Control, we have the equipment and expertise to eliminate powder post beetles and other wood destroying organisms from your new home. Don't let your dream home slip through your fingers, or be destroyed by these pests, reach out to Aiken today.




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