Powderpost beetles emerging from a wood floor will have a hard time relocating their exit holes so it's not likely this will happen. In the wild where wood is untreated, they'll have access to entire pieces of lumber. But in the home, most of the floor will be finished making it impervious to the eggs. This means they'll have to locate small holes over a terrain that's basically sealed tight from intrusion. Furthermore, there will be all kinds of "scenting issues". You see, in the wild, wood releases odors and scents which PPB can target. A lot of these odors are dependent on moisture.

In the home these odors have a hard time permeating like they do in the wild. No doubt the air in your house is a lot dryer which will limit the scent and odor given off by your flooring. Furthermore, it's highly likely that all the other scent in the home will distract the adults from finding what they normally can find easily. But lets say they could; even then it will be very hard for them to locate pre existing exit holes.

Now once adult beetles emerge, they must find a mate before reproduction can begin. Again, in the wild this is relatively easy compared to the confines of a home. But even if they did mate successfully, it's likely their egg production would be "low" compared to the wild. That being said, a female typically will lay 25-50 eggs. In the home where conditions normally are more dry and "harsh" for PPB survival, they'll most likely be laying less compared to egg production in the wild. Now remember, I'm assuming you don't have ideal reproduction conditions in your home. Over the years I've seen homes which were serving as PPB generators because there was a lot of moisture and other variables helping the beetles. My point is some homes will "help" PPB but in most cases this doesn't happen.

Lastly, the life span of an adult is generally a few months to a year with few living more than a year. In the home, it's hard to say but estimates are low meaning most likely just a few days to a few months at most. Again, this would be based on  a "healthy" home free of conditions conducive to insect infestations.

In fact all your questions and concerns kind of "reinforce" the general practice of leaving wood floors untreated when adults emerge because it's generally hard for them to continue the life cycle on the same wood. In other words, active populations tend to die out unless they have enough wood moisture and a good supply of wood on which to lay their eggs. Read more on wood floor infestations and how to treat for them in our WOOD FLOOR TREATING section of our in depth article about powderpost beetles.

If you read our POWDERPOST BEETLE ARTICLE, you'll learn the best product for the job will be BORACARE. It sounds like you have plenty of unfinished wood that's readily accessible so it should be fairly easy to do. Simply "paint" the application on so you don't make a mess. And remember "less is more". What I mean by this is that by applying small amounts over the same area several times, you'll get more into the wood.

When treating an open, raw piece of lumber like what you might have on a deck, one can spray aggressively without care or concern. But because there is no doubt intricate workings inside the upright piano, you cannot use such a technique so painting it on would be the way to go. In the end you'll get the same results; it will just take a little more time to do the job.

Lastly, make sure you understand the sawdust you're finding is the "exit" holes where they're leaving the upright piano and not signs of new ones attacking. This is a common misperception and it's important to understand the difference. This is covered in our article.

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

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

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

Please help!

If you read our article on POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL, you'll learn that freezing and heat treatments won't kill eggs so it's not an effective way to control active infestations of powderpost beetles. The only options you have would be to fumigate, inject the wood with JECTA GEL, dip the wood in BORACARE or do your own "fumigation" using some INSECT STRIPS. Here's a breakdown on what to expect regarding these treatment these options.

1. Fumigation via a pest service would be very costly (thousands of dollars) so I'm guessing this is not a viable option.
2. Jecta Gel injected to any exit holes or other "port" in exposed wood could do the job if you have enough holes to put the gel into.
3. Boracare "dip" would be the best way to go. No doubt the pieces would absorb enough product making them unlivable for the larvae.
4. Lastly, making your own "fumigation" tent is an option. To do this you'd place an insect strip in a thick plastic bag and seal it nice a tight. The air inside would be unusable by any insect and they'd die once hatched from their egg stage. The only limit to this treatment is that it would take months to complete because without knowing the species of beetle active, there is no telling how long it takes for eggs to gestate and hatch. To be safe, you'd need to wait at least 6 months. Most species hatch in 3 months or less but there are some that go for 3-9 months and some a year or longer (though these species are rare).

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

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

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

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

Insect Strips:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/fumigant/hotshot-no-pest-strip

READ MORE ON POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL

First, BORACARE goes on clear and once it soaks into the wood, essentially disappears. The wood will appear "wet" when you treat, just as if you washed it down with plain water, but once dry and the material is absorbed, it will go back to exactly as it once looked. Effectively there will be no trace or record the application was ever done.

Second, if you read our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn the holes you're seeing are exit holes. Pupae that are fully developed will exit infested lumber and in this process, they create the holes you see. So they are only "active" for a brief moment. Once the adult drills through the wood surface and makes the hole, it will fly away and the hole is rarely ever used again. So to answer your question; no doubt the holes you see were at one point active but not anymore.

So what should you do? Here's the easy answer. Monitor the area and see if any new holes appear. If they do, it will mean you have more pupae hatching and drilling out which means you have an active infestation. If you don't find any new holes, it means the holes you see are old and there is little chance new ones will appear. But as you'll learn in the article, it's the young of this beetle that does the damage and since there is no way to tell if you have any young still in the wood currently chewing away, some people will opt to get it treated so they can be done with the issue once and for all. Ultimately the choice is yours and should be made based on the level of comfort you have for the situation. It's kind of like insurance; it's hard to have too much. In this case, going through the work of removing the varnish and treating would no doubt be a major task. But once done, the wood would be protected and you'd no longer have to wait and worry about whether or not there is more damage being absorbed.

Alternatively you could wait it out and see if anything new emerges and if it does, use that as a sign there is activity that needs to be addressed before the wood sustains more damage. In the end it's your call and there is no "right or wrong" choice.

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

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

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

What do you suggest? I read your information on Boracare.

There are no animals in the barn, it is used for hay & machinery storage.

If you've read our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE, then you know what's happening. Basically it sounds like you have an active beetle infestation which needs treatment. And yes, BORACARE would be the best option if the wood is unpainted and accessible. Most barns are and from the sound of it, you should be able to do a thorough and complete treatment unimpeded.

To insure you get the right amount of product, I suggest you call us toll free at 1-800-877-7290 and ask for Mike or Chad. They'll want to know the quantity of beams you have along with their dimensions and lengths so they can calculate how much Boracare you'll need. And I suggest you also get the siding, studs and pretty much any wood of the structure protected so get the corresponding area and wood dimensions for these areas as well before calling.

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

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

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

You have two options. You could simply remove the finish on the hardwood floors and treat them with the BORACARE listed in our HARDWOOD FLOOR TREATMENT section of our article. As you'll learn, this would most definitely take care of them and in the process, help you to avoid excessive cost, work and frustration.

Your second option would be to rip up and remove the existing floors and install new ones. However, you will still need to treat. This will insure you don't have a problem with the new floors being installed. As our article explains, this pest is quite commonly found in most any kind of wood flooring and the only way to insure you don't have them is to treat the wood prior to applying any kind of stain or sealant.

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

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

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

Manzanita trees are susceptible to bark beetles as well as many species of Powder Post Beetles. And if it's stored out in the open, it's more likely to get infested. I suggest you keep it inside to prevent foraging insects from finding it. But if you insist on keeping it outside, treating it with BORACARE will help to keep it mold and insect free.

Thanks.

There is always a threat that neighboring populations of any insect can spread. This is especially true when the population is located outside. PINE BEETLES would be a good example of an insect that can easily move from one lot to another. That being said, POWDERPOST BEETLES are in general not likely to do so unless there are certain conditions in place which would allow for successful migrations. Here is the short list:

First, the species of beetle active in your neighbors house is most likely wood specific. That means it will probably need the same kind of wood in your home in order to succeed after migration. This can be a big part of why it's so hard for powderpost beetles to migrate.

Second, it will need access to getting outside in significant numbers. Many times the infestation is confined and emerging adults are not able to leave the structure where they're active. Emerging adults will have little time to find suitable wood and a mate. If they're not able to escape the originating house in a timely fashion, there is a high chance they'll just die out and not be able to propagate elsewhere.

Third, just what kind of "problem" do they have? For example, old damage from powderpost beetles can be a "serious problem". But it does not have to be "live" for it to be serious. You didn't mention if there are active beetles being seen in the home and this is the first way to identify if an immediate threat is present. If your neighbors are finding "piles of beetles" accumulating around exterior windows, the risk would be higher than normal. But if they've only spotted old exit holes and it's been labeled as powderpost beetles without actually seeing anything alive, the risk is nominal.

Lastly, the kind of wood involved has a lot to do with the odds of migrating beetles being successful at relocation. For example, if your neighbors purchased a wood cabinet or other piece of furniture that was made abroad and it's got the beetles, the odds are this species of wood isn't native or found locally let alone in your home. This would keep the risks minimized. But if the wood involved is cedar, oak, walnut or pine – just to name a few local species which I would classify as common here in the states – the odds increase that migrating beetles could move from one house to another.

In summary, these are some important variables you can weight when attempting to gauge whether or not there is a chance of any beetle migrating from their house to yours. In general I'd say the odds are low but I have seen this happen so it is most definitely a possibility.

Here is a direct link to our powderpost beetle article:

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

We brought the tree in over the weekend and it will only be up for eleven more days.  Do we need to worry about the beetles in the house?  Is there anything we can do to kill them?

If in fact you are seeing sawdust like what you'd see if you were using a wood saw to cut the tree, it's more likely the tree has CARPENTER ANTS or CARPENTER BEES. If you read our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn they create a fine "talc like" powder and not sawdust like you described. Another good indicator will be the holes from which the sawdust is coming. First, do you even see holes in the tree? PINE BORERS live and bore between the bark and inner tree trunk. They create sawdust when feeding and if you don't see any holes or damaged wood leading directly to the middle of the tree, I would then lean toward a boring pest of some kind.  Carpenter Ants and Carpenter Bees will be easy to spot and in fact will most likely still be "outward active" compared to something like Pine Borers which will try to hide and typically stay latent or hidden most of the time.

Regarding the pest and the possibility that it might spread to the inside of your home; without knowing the exact insect involved it's hard for me to say with any certainty. However, I do know the products you've applied will not handle this type of problem no matter what it turns out to be and if you intend on saving the tree for any length of time, you'll most definitely need to do some more treating with one of our products. My instinct tells me BORACARE would be the one product that could cover it all but again, without knowing for sure what you have even that guess wouldn't be 100% guarantee to cover what's active. For now I recommend you give our office a call and ask for Mike or Chad. Use our toll free 1-800-877-7290 number and after asking a few questions, I'm sure they'll have a better understanding of just what's going on and at that point will be able to make an educated suggestion on how to best treat.

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

Carpenter Ants:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Carpenter Bees:  http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

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

Pine Borer Control:  http://www.bugspray.com/article/pinebark.html

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