Powderpost Beetle Identification Guide

Powderpost beetles are wood-boring beetles. Adults have long, narrow, flat bodies, allowing these insects to move into pieces of wood through its pores and any other small cracks or openings they discover.

Adult females lay their eggs inside wood, preferring bare untreated pieces of wood. After the larvae (white c-shaped grubs) hatch, they tunnel through and feed on the wood to meet their nutritional needs. Once fully developed into adult powderpost beetles, they create tiny round exit holes and emerge from the piece of wood, a process that can take anywhere from one to five years!

The powderpost beetle may not be an insect recognizable to most homeowners, but they are second only to the termite in the amount of damage they can cause to dry, seasoned wood. Like termites and most other wood-destroying pests, powderpost beetles are not a direct threat to people. However, the damage they cause to wooden structures can become extensive and costly to repair. A powderpost beetle infestation should never be ignored!

There are two main ways powderpost beetles get into our Rhode Island homes. The first is by being brought in inside pieces of infested wood; usually, barn wood, lumbar, or wooden furniture are the culprits.

The second way they get inside your home is through openings they discover in its exterior. Adult powderpost beetles are active at night and very attracted to light. Exterior lights draw these insects to the exterior of your home, and they enter through any small space they come across.

Powderpost beetles prefer to attack hardwoods, damaging things like flooring, structural timbers, paneling, trim, and antique furniture.

If you have a powderpost beetle infestation in your home, you can expect to see numerous small holes in the exterior of wood or piles of a powdery substance in or around their exit holes, which is a mix of the larvae excrement and wood particles.

Professional help is the best way to get rid of powderpost beetles in your Worcester, MA, and surrounding area home. If you need help ridding your house of destructive powderpost beetles, reach out to Encon. Our business is to help people, and we take this commitment seriously. Our professionals work with our customers to ensure their homes become and stay free of unwanted pests. At Encon, we offer treatments that specifically address the unique problems of a powderpost beetle infestation. We know how destructive these insects can be and want to provide you with effective treatments to eliminate them!

To learn the specifics of our powderpost beetle treatment options, please give Encon a call today!

Reduce the chance of introducing powderpost beetles into your Rhode Island home using the following prevention tips:

• Paint or stain wood in, on, or around your home. 
• Though it may be aesthetically pleasing, if possible, do not use old barn wood inside your home.
• Make sure the wood you are purchasing from for use in your home has been properly stored. 
• Inspect pieces of wood for small holes in its exterior before bringing them into your home.
• Do not store furniture in barns, sheds, or garages, which adult powderpost beetles can easily access.
• Make sure to keep exterior lights off as much as possible.
• Inspect windows and doors to make sure screens and weatherstripping are intact to help keep powderpost beetles out of your home.