I suggest you read through our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE so you can better understand this pest. In the article you'll learn what it means when you find the holes you're finding. You'll also learn about the various treatment options that can handle the problem. This information will help you to decide if you wish to tackle the problem yourself or have a service company do the work for you. As you'll see, it's not hard to do and since doing it yourself will insure you get enough product applied, this approach can many times be the best option.

In our article you'll learn this pest is "wood specific". This means it will tend to focus on the wood type where you see activity. So unless you're home has similar wood and the wood is untreated (not painted or stained), there is little risk of them moving from the cabinets to the home. However, paint and stain alone won't save the cabinets.

In order to save the cabinets which now show activity, you'll need to treat with either the BORACARE or JECTA GEL we have listed in our article. These products will penetrate the wood and get deep enough to kill all the larvae which are really the problem. You see, the exit holes are from where adults have emerged and though you can treat these voids, in most cases they'll be abandoned and not important. What is important is the rest of the wood because no doubt there are many more larvae still active inside the cabinet wood and it's these guys that actually chew and eat cellulose (not adults that emerge). So in the end, you need a product that will penetrate through and through the wood so as the larvae eat, they'll ingest some of the treatment and die. In the end, it's this that will break the cycle and end the infestation.

The good news is that you state the inside of your cabinets are untreated (unfinished wood). If that's true, it should be easy to coat the area with Boracare and get the cabinets protected. I recommend giving it at least 2-3 coats over one day to insure you get enough applied. Within a few days the product should penetrate through and through which will kill all the larvae and take care of the problem.

At some point in the future you could opt to paint or stain the wood but since doing so would make it near impossible for the Boracare to be used again, I'd recommend waiting a good 6-12 months to make sure you don't keep finding exit holes. Once the holes stop for at least a year, finishing off the wood can be considered an option. But to make sure you can still treat it should the problem remain active, leaving as much of it unfinished is the best thing to do for now.

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

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

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

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

Jecta Gel:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/gel/jecta-gel-10-oz

Thank you.

If you read through our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn the holes you're finding are in fact exit holes. Larvae which have pupated are now drilling their way out so they can seek a mate and reproduce. Females will seek good wood on which to lay eggs. They'll try to do so in a protected area of the wood they choose like under  it's bark, in any cracks they can find or in old exit holes from whence they emerged.

To prevent the cycle from continuing, you'll need to treat with BORACARE. Mind you this treatment will not kill the emerging pupae but it will make the wood "inedible" to any hatching larvae should pregnant females lay eggs on your stock. When done properly, this treatment is much akin to spraying the lumber with water; it will look "wet" for a day but then dry as the treatment is absorbed by the wood and cures. In the end the wood will look as it did before being treated.

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

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

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

Thank you for your help.

If you read the section of our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE which discusses how to treat furniture, you'll see you have several options. In the article you'll learn that right now there are adults emerging and in fact they're not the ones doing the bulk of the damage. The real problem is the larvae in the wood which are eating away deep inside the piece. To stop the cycle you must reach them with a poison that can penetrate the wood through and through. Fumigation is most certainly one way to treat and it can be done by a service company for hire. However, this process is quite costly and many times will far outweigh the value of the piece. If you find this to be the case here you might decide to do some treating yourself. In the long run this will be a fraction of the cost compared to fumigation but it will require some effort on your part.

The products we recommend for such treating yourself include the JECTA GEL and the BORACARE. Neither will hurt the furniture finish and both will soak throughout the wood which will effectively kill feeding larvae. Jecta Gel is injected through holes you'll need to drill in discrete locations. Once injected, the gel will permeate through the wood and if done properly, provide a uniform barrier through which the larvae won't be able to eat.

The Boracare is easier to apply but will be limited to only being applied to sides of the piece which are untreated and don't have any finish. In other words, you cannot apply it over urethane or any other outside finish that will "block" it from penetrating. So you'll have to use it on sides "inside" the piece or underneath/bottom sides which are still unfinished and raw. Boracare is odorless and can be either sprayed or painted on so it's easy to work with. In some cases a few applications will be needed to insure deep penetration but when done right, the job can last for many years if not indefinitely.

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

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

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

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

If you read through our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn that what's happening is pupae which are hatching out in the logs are now tunneling out as adults. The pupae are the third stage of this pest and it's this stage where they "morph" from larvae to adults. You can't kill them in this stage and until they all release, you should expect to see new holes. This will happen whether you treat or not.

Now if you do treat, any larvae still in the wood feeding would ingest the treatment and die. In the end this is what you need done to stop the cycle.

Unfortunately there is no way to tell just how extensive the infestation might be and how many larvae might still be active. Is it likely there are more in the wood? Probably. Is there a way to treat the wood to prevent further damage? Yes. The two product options would be BORACARE and JECTA GEL.

The Boracare can only be used if you strip the Polyurethane off the logs or if the wood has enough unfinished sides exposed to allow the Boracare to penetrate. And since you didn't mention how thick the wood is, I'm not able to judge if you definitely need access to all sides of the wood or if one side being treated would be enough. In general you shouldn't expect to get more than 4 inches of penetration from the treatment so if the logs are 8" or more thick, you really need full access to get good penetration with the Boracare.

Alternatively the Jecta Gel could be used. By drilling access holes in discreet locations, you could inject enough of the jel into the wood to get good penetration. This would save the time and effort needed to strip the wood of it's urethane and could be a viable option. In the end, the Jecta Gel would do just as good of a job and for cosmetic reasons is sometimes a good way to treat.

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

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

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

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

jonathan

www.bugspray.com

There is no risk to people, the wood or the local environment if you were to treat it with the Boracare we have listed in our article. When mixed and applied properly, there is no odor and once left to cure (46-72 hours) the wood will keep it's look prior to the treatment. Using BORACARE will not affect this wood whether used for molding, furniture or firewood. It uses Boron for the active ingredient and these products are both safe and yet effective for certain pests like powder post beetle larvae.

If you wish to protect your future creations, I suggest treating most any wood you intend on using for furniture. Nothing can be more humiliating then to have emerging beetle larvae coming from a finished piece which took endless hours to create. Don't risk this happening; treat the wood beforehand – especially any good quality costly hardwood stock – to insure it will remain intact for many years to come.

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

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

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