Round headed borers commonly infest live trees and in most cases will die off when the tree dies. But this could take some time and if these are actually some other species, it is entirely possible they'll migrate to other wood in the home. You didn't mention if the piece is finished or not and this factors into the decision on whether to save it or trash it.

If the pieces have unfinished sections, treating with BORACARE as explained in our WOOD BEETLE CONTROL article will take care of the current infestation and protect the wood from future problems. Boracare needs to be applied to unfinished wood in order to penetrate through and through so if the pieces are completely finished, you'll have to decide whether removing the finish to treat and save the piece is worth the time and effort. If not, you may want to discard infested pieces and start anew.

As for any live trees with activity; there are a couple of treatment options that will both control current round headed borers and help prevent the infestation from spreading to other trees. For trees currently showing activity (holes, chambers, sawdust, etc.), inject galleries and holes with PT-CYKICK AEROSOL. Following this you should spray the limbs and trunk with CYPERMETHRIN. The aerosol will kill live beetles and the Cypermethrin will both kill any it contacts as well as provide a month or two of residual so that new borers won't be able to migrate onto any tree sprayed.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Boracare:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/boracare-gal

PT-Cykick: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-cykick-17-5-oz

Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

Furniture Treatments:  http://www.powderpostbeetles.com/powderpost-beetle-control#furniture_beetle_treatments

Any ideas would be appreciated. I do have several high resolution scans of the critters if you would like to look at them or use them later. Send me your email address.

As you may have read in our POWDERPOST BEETLE ARTICLE, the third stage of these beetles won't die from the BORACARE treatment. Since they can stay in this stage for a year or more, I strongly suspect they are what you're finding around the treated piece. Based on the treatment already done, I don't believe any will be able to reinfest or start new activity. What's most likely occurring right now is that the emerging adults are picking up enough product combined with other factors which are in turn leading to their demise. If so, this would be a testament to the treatment you've done. Since adults don't actually eat the wood, they many times won't be affected and if they are, it will take a lot longer than normal to see the end result. This is true for any that land on treated wood, chew through it to start new nests or chew through it to escape their pupae casings. But if the application was thorough enough, there could be enough of an impact and it sounds like this may be happening here (which is great news!).

Still, based on the fact you mention you have other antiques in the home, we can't rule out another source of these adults. I agree treating as many other pieces as you can would be a wise investment of time and cost. We currently have experienced an influx of new PPB species here in the states and some of these are fast acting. A little preventive maintenance can go a long way and since these treatments can last many years, if done right you should only have to make the one application to get long term protection.

One other thing; be sure to inspect the home for any rogue flyers that may be moving about the living spaces. Many times they will flock to light and a common place to find them will be by windows or certain light fixtures. I suggest you routinely inspect the home for any that might be accumulating somewhere as this would be a clear indication of something ongoing and in need of more attention.

Here are direct links to the products and information listed above:

Powderpost Beetle Article:  http://www.powderpostbeetles.com/powderpost-beetle-control

Boracare:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page52.html

There are many species of beetles that might find your old furniture appealing. I'm assuming you mean the wood part of your furniture; if the problem is with the fabric of the piece you'll need to refer to our CARPET BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE.

Now if your current problem involves the wood of your furniture, it's most likely some kind of wood infesting beetle. There are many species that will eat most any kind of wood. Additionally, old damage can sometimes become quite obvious after it's been able to sit out and dry through and through. Seeing holes doesn't mean you have new activity but in many cases treating will be the right thing to do. This insures you won't sustain extensive damage due to negligence and ignoring sure signs.

As explained in our POWEDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE, the JECTA GEL is ideally formulated for treating small pieces of wood with a finish. Exit holes and newly drilled holes in discreet locations will many times enable you to get the wood treated without having the remove the old finish or patina. Jecta Gel will soak into the wood and from small injections you're able to get a lot of wood effectively protected. When done properly, these applications won't be visible.

Additionally, the treatment won't have any adverse effect on the old finish. Jecta Gel is odorless and safe for the piece. It won't pose a hazard to anyone that uses the furniture. And though you need to make placements throughout the piece, it won't really matter if you treat from the "inside" or "outside". If the piece is only 1-2 inches thick, a treatment from one side will do the job. Just pick discreet out of site sections to make the gel placements and you should get adequate coverage.

Here are direct links to the products and information mentioned above:

http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/carpetbeetle.html

http://www.powderpostbeetles.com/powderpost-beetle-control#furniture_beetle_treatments

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page156.html

jonathan

www.bugspray.com