Thanks!

First, there is no need to be "confused" by all the answers you've been getting. There is no "correct" or "right" answer since no one knows for sure if you have a population that will remain active or die out. The various options being offered are in fact viable choices based on this limited measurement we all must make since we cannot see "into" the wood and accurately measure the level of insects you might have living there. What's most important is that you choose an option you understand and are comfortable with regarding the possible outcomes based on that course of action.

Second, if you read our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn it's very common for hardwood floors to both harbor and release beetles after being installed. Does this mean the population will die off? Not every time. Does it mean you should rip out the flooring and replace it? Probably not. But these are decisions you must make and not someone else. Are you able to make any decision without fully understanding the powderpost beetle and it's life cycle? Probably not. Would all the options sound confusing? Most definitely! And I suspect the confusion is enhanced because in the end you must make a direct decision and for most people this is a tough thing to do even when they know what's right!

But getting back to powderpost beetles;  only when you fully understand the life cycle of this pest, making any kind of decision will be a gamble. In the long run, it would be best if you took a little time to learn just what's happening and what could happen should you follow any of the multiple "options" being offered to resolve the infestation. So to help with your decision making process, I've created a list of options along with what their respective outcomes below. Hopefully this list will enable you to make a decision based on information you have collected and not on what someone else is recommending.

Option 1: do nothing. This is probably what the vast amount of people do when first confronted with this kind of problem. The risk is the infestation could spread or it could cause enough damage to where the flooring has to be replaced due to the magnitude of rot. Addtionally, there will be a constant uneasiness due which is what most people feel when "not doing anything" for a problem they know exists. In the end, either the infestation will run it's course and disappear or it will continue on and on. The big point here is no one can say for certain what will happen.

Option 2: minimally treat. This option is commonly done as well. Treating existing holes will protect the area and prevent it from being used over and over by beetles which are seeking new nest sites. But as our article explains, the BAYGON AEROSOL isn't a long term protection nor will it reach deep into the wood where more damage would be happening if there are more larvae in the wood. In the end, the infestation will either continue or run out much like the results from choosing option 1.

Option 3: strip the floor and treat with BORACARE. This would effectively kill off the population, protect the wood from further insect and mold infestations as well as provide peace of mind. Laying wood floors down over concrete is risky at best; anytime you put wood in close proximity to soil and moisture bad things can happen. If you opt to treat with Boracare, the problem would be resolved once and for all and for some people, this peace of mind is worth the cost, time and effort.

Option 4: ripping out the old flooring and installing new flooring. Funny thing about this option is that it doesn't take care of any new insect infestation that might be present in the hardwood being installed. So to safeguard the new flooring, it would a wise investment to treat the new wood just to be sure you don't have active insects and that no new ones find their way into the new food. Not treating would be like option 1; not doing anything. If chosen, you might be happy with the new floors but if just one beetle was to emerge at some point, you would become quite unhappy and effectively be back to square one.

In summary, the option you choose should be based on what you're comfortable with knowing the course of action and the possible results of each choice. Having been in the industry for over 30 years, I can say with confidence we all have different requirements to obtain what I call "peace of mind". To learn what it is that might provide you peace of mind, consider each option I listed, along with the possible end results, and try to get a handle on how each one would make you feel without actually making the decision. For most insect treatments, this decision making process isn't nearly as complicated. But when it comes to some wood destroyers like termites and powderpost beetles, it's more important to understand the possible outcomes before you proceed. Hopefully this will enable you to better understand these results and in the end, empower you to make a decision that's best for you.

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

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

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page157.html

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

jonathan

www.bugspray.com

Thanks,
X.

First, it is not possible to judge if you have high quality or low quality wood based on whether insects are present or not. Most all wood is susceptible to insects; hardwood flooring is particularly vulnerable and though oak is strong, it's rare that any home installation of wood floors won't show some insect activity old or new. So if you like the look and the company is reputable, I'm sure they used a good grad of wood as it's hard to mask or get away with using anything less when it comes to good quality wood flooring.

As for the holes you see; you didn't mention if the activity appears to be new or old. This is important. As mentioned in our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE, wood flooring will many times include some cut of the tree which experienced insect activity at some point. But in most cases this activity is old and only adds to the "character" of the flooring. However, if you are seeing sawdust piling up on the floor as well as live insects, there would be cause for concern. Since most any wood floor will have some "holes" in random locations it's not unusual for some to be seen. But just how many do you see that look the same size and are they only now appearing? Also, do they look like they were finished over and that something is drilling through the finish the installing company applied?

Additionally, the quantity of activity you're seeing is important. Are we talking about 1-2 holes or 5-10? Again, this will all factor into the decision making process when the problem is assessed.

Provide more details and I may be able to further assist. But my instinct is telling me you may be looking at either old damage or a very finite few insects that are involved and in the end will die out and disappear. In either case no action would be worth the ordeal of replacing or treating since this is tedious and time consuming. But if have 10 or more holes with more appearing daily, some kind of action like the options we have detailed in the WOOD FLOOR TREATMENT section of our article may be warranted.

Here are direct links to the information I mentioned above:

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

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

First, I suggest you read through our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL article. There you will learn the best products to use when treating this pest. As explained in the article, TIMBOR is really only good for preventative treatments and won't help much for anything established and currently active. The BORACARE is clearly the product needed here if you wish to get the much needed penetration for complete control. Remember, what you see at the surface of the wood is only the tip of the iceberg; most of the action will be deep down at the center of support beams and other large important structural members of the house and therefore be out of sight.

Second, there is no "fumigation" option other than tenting the house that would help. Total release aerosols aren't going to penetrate the wood where the larvae are feeding so forget this approach.

Third, as our article explains, it's generally best to treat as much of the lumber as you can. Since you have a crawl space and what sounds like an accessible attic, you should be able to see any activity and focus your attention on these areas. And be sure to treat surrounding wood. Wall voids are difficult to spray and if you feel they could be active in such spaces, get the FOAMING TOOL and inject the Boracare as we explain in our article.

Lastly, the only aerosol that can help at treating the problem would be something like the BAYGON or PT-CYKICK and in order for either work, they must be injected directly to beetle galleries and access points. To accomplish this, you'll need to drill holes large enough for the injecting straw of the aerosols to fit where you want to treat. Drill patterns should be spaced 6-8 inches apart and the goal is to create a direct way for the aerosol to reach deep into the wood where the larva are feeding. Failure to "hit" galleries with the drill holes means the treatment will usually fail which is why Boracare is almost always your best bet when you need maximum coverage. The penetrating quality of Boracare makes it worth the extra cost since you know it will get deep down where it matters most when dealing with this pest. The advantage of the Boracare is that you won't have to worry about drilling anything; it will penetrate and get to where it's most  needed.

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

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

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page51.html

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

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1069.html

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page157.html

http://www.bugspray.com/item/pt_cykick.html

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 DFORCE AEROSOL would be viable options for any direct treatments including exit holes. The tip of the Dforce 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 Dforce 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 Dforce 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 Dforce 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.

As cited in our article on POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL, the BORACARE would be the best option. It will both penetrate and last a good long time. By penetrating, you'll impregnate the wood with a treatment that will prevent future generations of the current population from using the wood for food. By lasting a good long time, you won't have to reapply it again since the wood will be used inside.

Lastly, since Boracare is boron based, it's very safe to use inside the home where people and pets may be present. Odorless and easy to apply, it poses no hazard when applied properly as explained in our PRODUCT SAFETY VIDEO.

There is a wide range of beetles that commonly live in wood. Their larvae are small, worm like creatures that live in the wood eating their way through this growth stage. Once the larvae get their fill, some will stay to pupate (change to adults) and others will emerge and leave to molt elsewhere. All this is explained in greater detail in our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL article.

Upon completion of the third stage, pupae will  hatch out the adult stage of this insect which will seek members of the opposite sex. They will mate and females will attempt to lay eggs on wood where the hatching young can once again feed. I suspect what you are seeing are the young larval stages that have fed and getting ready to pupate.

Treatment of the wood flooring can be done as explained in our article under the WOOD FLOOR TREATMENT section. Any questions, please give us a call at  1.800.877.7290.

Powderpost beetle holes in wood flooring means you have adults exiting which have completed their growth cycle. In most cases, these beetles were in the wood when it was installed as explained in our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL article. This pattern could continue (more exiting), it could cease if they are not able to continue reproducing and successfully feed or it could run on for many years if the local condition is prime for them to live and prosper.

The course of action you take will largely depend on what you are comfortable doing. Some people are "ok" with a few insects leaving their wood floor from time to time. Clearly if you only have 1-2 of these holes a year I would say doing nothing would be acceptable. Other people aren't comfortable allowing any insects to live inside their home and may decide any one of the listed treatments in our powderpostbeetle article. This decision will be yours to make since it's quite hard to tell or judge what might happen over time. In other words, no one can really predict if the population will continue or die off; treating the wood is the most logical way to make it difficult for them to continue and for some people, this peace of mind is what they prefer over uncertainty.

There are other factors to consider which we would be glad to talk to you about over the phone so if you would like to discuss this matter further, please give us a call toll free at 1.800.877.7290. Powderpost beetles living in wood floors can be a problem but there are treatment options that can help reduce or eliminate them altogether.