we have an evergreen that is dead & has been cut down. is there any way to use the old wood? we thought it it would be nice to make something out of it. but it does still have some live activity. we are seeing bore holes & sawdust. is it worth saving or not? Thanks.
This is entirely up to you. The wood definitely can be purged of all insect activity if that's what you're asking. Once rough cut, you could treat it will some BORACARE and let it cure for a few months. If done properly, the boring larvae would surely die and the Boracare should be able to provide protection for several years to come. But the real question is two fold; is the wood damaged so badly that it's not practical to use and is it even worth the time and effort to make it reusable?
The first consideration is a tough one. Many people like the way insect damaged wood looks. They feel the boring pests help to give the wood a certain character and presence which for some living environments is a desirable feature. But clearly it can get to a point where the damage is so extreme the wood is not able to function structurally. This you can generally ascertain upon the initial processing of the tree. At that time you can tell how badly it's been infested, how much damage the wood boring pests have done and whether or not what is left of the tree can be used for your project.
The second thing to consider is whether or not the wood is even worth the cost to make it usable. Remember, Boracare will cost as will your time and effort to do the treatment. Again, if there is a lot of wood and it has a certain look you desire, it can be saved. But in the end, only you can make this judgment call. And don't be afraid to give us a call if you'd like to discuss this further; our toll free is 1-800-877-7290.
Filed under evergreens by 
Greetings: I was wondering if you folks could assist me regarding some “bugs” that have infested some furniture of ours.
We recently purchased a set of very rustic Hickory wood furniture that has evidence of some sort of infestation. We haven’t seen any bugs, but there is evidence of them as there are fine sawdust particles that are trailing down the legs of the stools. I have seen termite feces before and this is a much finer, smaller particle wood dust. I should add that the dust seems to originate somewhere in the bark (as the bark was left on the legs of the table and the four stools). As a result, a neighbor of ours thought that it might be a bark beetle, which makes sense. We thought that we’d check with you to get your input and recommendations for eradication.
No doubt you have some type of powderpost beetle active in this furniture. Hickory is a common hardwood that can sustain this pest and the fine sawdust particles you describe are a clear indicator of what's currently active and eating away at the furniture. I suggest you review our online POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL article for details about this pest if you'd like to learn more about this destructive wood boring insect.
There is also a HOW TO TREAT FURNITURE section which lists how you can control this problem yourself which in the long run, is probably the best option given where the beetles are active. Most people hope they can just fumigate the pieces which in fact can be done. But it's both costly and does not provide any type of residual so the wood is prone to reinfestation. Conversesly, doing a little extra work using the products we have listed in our article will provide a long term remedy to this destructive pest.
If you have further questions or concerns, give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290. Powderpost beetles are a destructive pest and like termites, literally eat the wood so you don't want them lingering for any length of time.
Filed under powdery sawdust by
Our home is over 30 years old and we have never seen any evidence of Powderpost Beetles. We are considering renewing a Powderpost Beetle service contract (covers inspection and retreatment) that we have had for years but wonder if it makes sense to do so. With the information you provide and the products now available, it sounds like we could do this ourselves and save $150 + per year. Could you provide any advice for us? Thank you.
In this day and age, it's smart to take a close look at recurring contracts and service agreements. I believe the best way to view these costs is to compare them to other forms of "insurance". For some people, they can't get enough insurance. It buys them peace of mind and with it a comfort making the cost worth the price. But still the question must be asked: do I really need this extra protection?
When it comes to pest control contracts, the decision making process can get extra cloudy and mired with uncertainty. Just what is the relative risk for any one pest? Wood destroying insects like termites, carpenter ants and powderpost beetles are all capable of doing damage in most any home. This damage can many times go unnoticed enabling it to accumulate in size. For this reason many service companies offer long term contracts. These contracts offer a way to avoid costly repairs should a problem reappear. In theory they should also help to catch problems sooner rather than later since you will have a "fresh" set of eyes inspecting the property from year to year if you keep the contract current. If the inspection is being done by a knowledgeable expert, they can many times identify structural issues which can be fixed before they lead to further problems. Since a good home inspection can cost several hundred dollars, it would seem as though the $150.00 annual renewal you listed above is well worth the cost.
So in summary, a good starting point to this decision can stem from the annual inspection itself. If you feel you are getting a good look over and are comfortable with the "protection" your contract provides, it may be worth keeping it current. This would certainly be true if you plan on selling the house in the coming months or if there is a "history" of powderpost beetle problems in the home. But as explained in our POWDERPOST BEETLE ARTICLE, most treatments will last several years and over this time knock out existing populations making it less likely to have another problem surface. And if the home has been pest free for 5 years or more and you don't plan on selling it for 3 or more years, clearly the "present value" of the contract will be notably less and maybe not worth the $150.00. Like other forms of insurance, many of us will usually fall on one side of the coverage: either we'll take full advantage of it getting more than our money's worth or we'll pay the premium year after year and never have one bad thing happen. The trick is knowing which policies to keep current and which to let expire without cause for alarm. If you ever figure out how to make this judgement, please let me know! But for now, my advise is to go with your instincts. Think it over and weigh both options carefully. And if you have further questions or concerns, give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290 for some technical assistance.
Filed under service contracts by
I get the ceiling in the basement treated yearly for post powder beetles. Is this necessary? There hasn't been any evidence of the beetle in the last 5 yrs. Thanks for your help.
As explained in our POWDERPOST BEETLE ARTICLE, most all treatments will last a lot longer than one year. Are you sure there is actually any treatment going on or are you really paying for a "contract renewal" of some sort that will cover the cost of a treatment should it be deemed necessary to treat again? I know many companies will offer such annual renewals and most require a good inspection once a year as part of the contract. Find out from the company for sure just what it is they are doing and if you have further questions or concerns, please give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290.
Filed under ceilings by
Hi,
I recently installed a new oak hardwood floor. It was raw wood which I stained (oil base) and finished with polyurethane. Shortly after, signs of powder post beetles were evident. Though it took me a week to figure out what the heck the little piles of sawdust were all about, I am now adamant to get rid of these buggers. I certainly do not want to refinish these floors, so I am curious about the Jecta Gel. Can I apply it in the pinhead size exit holes? Is the applicator that small?
Also, I've read that these adult beetles are looking to mate and then lay more eggs. If my floor is now finished with polyurethane would it be safe to say they probably would only go back into the holes they made? Would they create a new hole in finished wood?
And lastly does stain and polyurethane kill them? I had a thought that perhaps the stain and poly could possibly be driving the ones that weren't killed out and that these holes (there have been about 7 total in two weeks) would be the last I see of them. What do you think?
Thanks!!
As explained in our POWDER POST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE, hardwood floors can be tough to treat for powder post beetles. The activity you see right now are undoubtedly adults emerging as they complete their life cycle. Exit holes might present the most direct way to treat the wood without rigorous preparation and for now, I'd say you should use these exit holes to your advantage. As our article details, JECTA GEL or BAYGON AEROSOL would be viable options for any direct treatments including exit holes. The tip of the Baygon injecting nozzle is ideally suited for exit hole treatment; Jecta Gel has a nozzle/tip which is too wide to get the gel into most exit holes without waste and some mess. I like to drill exit holes larger prior to treating which enables me to get more gel into the hole for better coverage. You can still attempt to treat without drilling the flooring; expect some mess but if you are patient and willing to "push" in the gel with a spatula or some other tool it can be done. However, drilling larger, oversized holes is definitely a more effective approach.
If the floor is tight and the urethane "blankets" the entire area, it's most likely the only good spot for adults to lay eggs would be in previously made exit holes. However, in all the traditional oak hardwood flooring I've seen over the years, there are always gaps and spaces which powder post beetles can utilize if located by foraging adults. By design, traditional hardwood flooring will contract and expand with the season. In winter months, it typically contracts exposing subtle seams and spaces. These may be hard to see but to small insects like Powder Post Beetles, they present prime nest locations and are easy to find. I'd be surprised if there aren't any gaps in your flooring so be sure to inspect it carefully. If found, treat with either Baygon or Jecta Gel to eliminate them as prime nest locations.
Stain and urethane will kill most any insect when it's wet and being applied. Once dry, it won't have much effect on any insect pest – especially powder post beetles. So to answer your question; yes, either will kill the larvae stage of powder post beetles easily when being applied. And if you directly apply either to adults, you'd kill them too. But the eggs and pupae are a lot tougher to kill and generally don't come out in the open. For this reason it's not likely you'll be able to have much of an impact on them when using stain or urethane on your flooring. Even Jecta Gel or Baygon won't kill eggs or pupae; these products mostly effect larvae as they feed and since both provide long term residual in the treated wood, you can effectively protect your flooring when either are used. Stain and urethane loose their killing action once dry and typically don't penetrate deep when applied so they cannot reach the "heart" of the wood which is where larvae like to live.
In summary, I would at least treat exit holes and any gaps or seams I found in the flooring at this time. The Jecta Gel or Baygon should be used and I would expect any good treatment made now should make further infestation unobtainable. But keep in mind it could take another few months for all the hatching pupae to cycle down. In other words, don't expect all exit holes to cease being made following the treatment. As our article explains, the pupae are encased and cannot be killed with any liquid, aerosol or gel treatment so only after they hatch and emerge will you be effectively "done" with the local population. And if you've prepared any vulnerable wood with either treatment mentioned above, you should be able to stop them from continuing their cycle. If you have further questions or concerns, please give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290.
Filed under wood floor by
I am from Ontario Canada, can boracare be sprayed in cold temperatures? It is ranging from 35 day – 20 night Fahrenheit. I am renovating an old building now and it has been gutted so it is easy to apply now.
According to the manufacturer, there is no minimum. Apparently the solvents and design of BORACARE enables it to be absorbed by treated wood right down to freezing temps. With that being said, I would have to add that the warmer the temps the easier it is to use and the faster you'll get absorption by the surfaces being sprayed. At least that's been my personal experience. I have used it down to 50 degrees and have not noted anything different but never tried any colder so I don't know about 35 degrees. Since you are treating inside, the exposed wood should be protected which to me means you should be able to get the same results. If you have further questions, give us a call on our toll free at 1-800-877-7290.
Filed under spraying by
I have small holes in some logs being used for furniture and I'm sure they're some kind of boring beetle. What species might they be and how can I treat? I'd like to save this furniture as it was handmade and only a couple of years old.
There are many species of wood boring beetles and being able to identify them based on their exit holes would be next to impossible. Some of the most common that can live and breed on dead wood include powderpost, deathwatch and false powderpost.
Powderpost beetles are amongst the more common and readily found in everything from furniture to log cabins. They're in the family lyctidae and earned their name because of the dustlike frass which can be seen falling out of their exit holes. They mainly target hardwoods commonly used in flooring and furniture.
Deathwatch beetles are from the family Anobiidae and more closely related to drugstore and cigarette beetles. They are unique in that they commonly communicate with one another by tapping their heads on the wood they infest. This sound can many times be heard in homes where they are active and anyone experienced in pest control knows this sound.
False powderpost beetles are in the family bostrichidae and their frass is coarse compared to true powderpost beetles. Additionally, females are more likely to bore egg chambers in the targeted wood so seeing holes when this beetle is active means there could very well be a new problem developing. With most others, new holes is generally a sign adults are leaving and does not mean you have new or developing problems. False powderpost adults drilling is a difinite sign of new activity and needs to be treated aggressively to insure they don't get a foothold on the location where they're active.
Regardless of the species, any of these beetles can cause damage and should be treated seriously. The best way to take care of local activity is to treat with BORACARE. This product will penentrate the infested wood and get down deep where larvae are likely feeding. Once treated, the wood will no longer be able to host any wood destroying organism so Boracare will provide a universal protection against insects and destructive mold. This makes it the best overall product to use and effectively a one shot treatment ideally suited for when wood boring beetles are present. Treat where you see activity and any similar pieces and you should be able to get the problem erradicated before it can ever get established.
Filed under borers by
I have powder post beetles in some nice lumber I want to use. I do not want to apply any surface control due to finishing problems later. Can I kill the pests with a heat treatment, such as putting the wood in a kiln and heating to say 160 degrees for 30 min. If so what stages will it kill.
Thanks.
Over the years we have had many customers attempt to kill beetle infestations using nothing but heat. The problem is measuring actual results. There simply is no way to tell if the heat treatment has done anything measurable. There are many reasons for this inherent "measurement" problem including the following:
- You don't know if the wood has active beetles right now. Seeing evidence is not a sign it's active. It could be old; remember frass falling out could be from old exit holes.
- There is no doubt that heat over 150 degrees will kill adults and larva but the other two stages, eggs and pupa are no so easy to control. There is mixed data on the efficacy when using just heat and currently no real standard or universal minimum.
- There are countless species of what many people call powderpost beetles. Data would have to be collected for each species and only then could specific numbers be used to control specific infestations. What we do know is certain species can be killed this way with temperatures in the 120-130 degree range. But for others, it may have to be much higher and for some, no level is known.
- Knowing just what species of beetle you have is next to impossible since there are very few qualified people that can make an exact id. The only way you can know the right minimum temperature to heat the wood will be if you know the species of beetle you are trying to kill.
- Different wood conducts heat differently making the amount of time required variable based on wood species, density, thickness, moisture content and a whole other list of characteristics. This further complicates the heat treating option big time.
- Wood processors including wood flooring companies, log cabin makers, lumberyards, furniture makers and many others have all tried to implement heat treating as a way to control and prevent wood beetle infestations. Currently many use such processes. Some are required by law; others do it because it makes them appear to be doing something worthwhile. Upon close observation what we find is there is a huge variation in just what heat levels being used, the actual kiln type being used, the wood grade being processed, etc and in the end, many of these treatments are failing. Should wood be kiln dried? Most certainly yes. But there are too many unanswered questions and standards that need to be set before it can be used as a way to "control" live insect problems.
- Heat treating is not protecting the wood. Once the wood dries, it's immediately vulnerable to infestation again and there is no doubt this vulnerability lends itself to re infestations. Some scientists believe there are certain pieces of wood which may have distinct odors from a prior insect infestation which make it more susceptible. It could be odors from the insects or maybe it's inherent to the specific tree. The point is once wood shows activity it's likely to have more activity in the future.
In summary, we have had so many people attempt to kiln process or get their lumber kiln processed and then 1-2 years later still have problems that we don't offer any guidelines on how it must be done. For now, we're skeptical of the whole process and wonder just what it's actually doing ( when used to "control" known insect problems). The one thing we know is kiln drying is not a "treatment" but rather a process which should be done when commercially preparing or using wood for some type of product that one day is intended to be sold. But for the average craftsman that's wanting to use wood infested with beetles for a project they're about to begin, something more than just heat must be considered.
Does kiln drying kill some stages of wood infesting beetles? Absolutely. Should it be used as a sure fire way to both get rid of a known infestation and to insure no new beetle infestions occur? No way. We feel if you know the lumber you intend on using has some type of beetle problem then it needs to be treated with BORACARE. This does nothing to the wood and once the Boracare treatment has dried and soaked in, the treated wood can be cut, processed and used for anything you'd normally build with it. You mention you "do not want to apply any surface control" and we concur; surface treating products like Timbor are messy and should not be used on raw, unfinished lumber prior to use in construction. They leave visible films and don't penetrate where all the "action" is most likely centered. But once the raw wood has been cut and installed, using topical products to prevent mold and insect infestations is Ok. These treatments should be considered to be "preventive" at best. Real treatments done on active beetle infestations need to be done with wood penetrating agents like Borcare which in the end will get to the heart of the wood, break the wood beetle cycle currently active and prevent future infestations with it's lengthy residual. For now, this is clearly the best "treatment" available when live activity is noted.
Filed under treatments by
I have an armoire that has confirmed powder post beetles. I have had this furniture (bought new)for almost 2yrs and have noticed the "sawdust" piles for about a year. Your site gave me great info on this beetle-what it is, treatment, etc. My local pest control company had told me that i needed to fumigate for 3days (at their location) and had to be done in 70 degree weather or above, truck rental expense,costing lots of money. Seems i can handle this w/Boracare myself.
My question is : My piece of furniture is stained-inside and out-not varnished or polyurethaned. Can i apply Boracare to the outside and the "finish" not be noticeably ruined?
Thanks for your insight! K.
K.,
Sorry to hear about the armoire problem; hopefully it's not too bad and with a little attention you'll be able to take care of the infestation yourself. The key is being able to get good penetration when treating and as our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL article explains, wood can do this naturally when it's still "raw" and unfinished.
But apparently the wood in question here has some type of finish as your message states. So, with that in mind, I can say there is still a chance it can be successfully treated with the Boracare if the stain is not oil based and will allow water to penetrate. This will many times happen if the finish is old and worn. Typically we see stain finishes on the outside of buildings break down so Boracare can be applied over the top successfully. I'm not sure that will be the case here since the Armoire has not been kept outside nor is it old. Still you can test it first to see.
To test the "strength" of the finish, put some water on the surface of the wood in areas where you think it may be able to soak in. This is usually where the wood is rough and many times on the back side of the furniture. If you find areas like this give them a test to see. Look to see if the water is readily accepted by the wood or if it appears to "bead up" or "roll off". If you find some of th water does soak in, the next question would be if you have enough of these "vulnerable" locations on the wood to get a treatment with Boracare to be effective. Remember, BORACARE has special penetrating solvents and ingredients so it will actually penetrate much better than water itself. If you cannot find any weak, worn or finished areas where water will readily absorb, I'm afraid the only way you'll be able to ensure a good treatment will be to sand and strip the surface of the armoire. If done in enough areas, you should be able to get the Boracare to penetrate and solve the problem. And remember this wouldn't have to be done on the front, exposed side. There could be strategic locations on the back or bottom where it's kind of "out of sight". This way the unfinishing will be hard to see or even notice.
Lastly, if you aren't willing to unfinish the piece enough for a thorough Boracare treatment, you could opt to use the JECTA GEL or even a combination of both products. As explained in our FURNITURE TREATMENT FOR BEETLES section, it's very much a viable option that can be used successfully. In this case you will have to drill out access holes which will have to be done in out of sight locations but this can really help. And a combination of both products may be whats needed to get good coverage without major changes to the current finish. If you have further questions, give the office a call at 1.800.877.7290 and we may be able to suggest some more options after we get to ask a few questions.
Filed under how to treat by
Hi, In your article you say the holes are the bugs leaving, where do they go? I had a 5" antique wood with painted enamel pocket watch holder in my china cabinet for a couple of years. Yesterday I happened to look at it & noticed many tiny holes & when I shook it dust fell out, should I be concerned that my china closed is infested & what product do I need to get rid of bugs for my fragile antique? Another article suggested to freeze item for 24 hours, what do you think? Hoping in advance you have a suggestion. Thank you, C.
As explained in our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL article, maturing pupa will exit the wood where they fed as larva. Exit holes will be tiny and many times you'll have several appear at the same time. Adults are looking to mate and lay eggs and if they're not able to find similar wood compared to what they fed on, many times they'll just die off and their effort will have been in vain. So to answer your question "where do they go"; the answer is generally close to where they just were active.
If it were my piece and I was wanting to still keep it, I would treat it with the CYKICK AEROSOL to insure there isn't anything still active. Since this is such a small piece the treatment would most likely be able to penetrate enough to get any activity that might still be active in the wood. Though freezing could kill larva, it won't kill the eggs and for that you need a residual product like the Baygon to be active so when the eggs hatch they will succumb to the material.
Filed under cabinet by
