Powderpost Beetle Conversations - First Hand Reports

We found the following powderpost beetle conversations on a forum and thought we’d pass them along. Each demonstrates some aspect of these wood boring pests, and the challenges faced by those who encountered them.

Powderpost Beetle Conversations – Home Inspector and PC insurance rep speak out.

Home inspector advises against home purchase due to powderpost beetles.

Anobiid Powderpost Beetle

“I inspected a house in Golden Beach (yes, the name does represent the people who live there, that’s where those with the gold live to some extent down there in South Florida) about 10 years or so ago which was totally gone due to those buggers.

No matter where I grabbed a truss, it crumbled in my hand.

I came down and advised my client, he was buying it because it was a point lot with 400 feet on the Intra-coastal, he only wanted it inspected to see if it was safe to rent out for a year or two before tearing it down …

Property and casualty insurance agent speaks out against purchasing a home infested with powderpost beetles.

“With all my experience in the PC business, I would not buy a home with Powder Post beetles. I’d run away in a heartbeat.” Credits: Powder Post Beetles – Inspection News

Powderpost Beetle Conversations – Total Destruction Described

Lyctid Powderpost Beetle

“Pest guys will swear up and down that it will not re-infest… What a joke!!

I’m firmly of the belief that there is no cure other than removal of the wood. And with this particular house if you took out all of the bad wood the only thing between you and the ground would be the carpet.” Credits: Powder Post Beetles – Inspection News

Powderpost Beetle Conversations – Frustration with time-consuming monitoring

“If you see frass hanging out of the holes it is probably active. But if you see the holes and no frass it requires monitoring, which can be costly and time consuming. You can draw a silver dollar sized circle and count or number the holes inside, come back a month or so later to see if you have more holes inside the circle. I will usually draw about ten circles and monitor them in order to determine activity. Who really wants to do this?” Credits: Powder Post Beetles – Inspection News

Powderpost Beetle Conversations: Summary

As you can see by these reports, powderpost beetles are not to be taken lightly. We’ve seen home inspectors and property and casualty insurance agents run the other way when they encounter powderpost beetles. We’ve seen reports of utter destruction of wooden beams and foundations which literally “crumble in your hands”, leaving “nothing between the carpet and the ground under the house”!

If you have a powderpost beetle infestation, your house may be toast as far as its resale value. However, there are ways to fight the infestation and reclaim your home.

Powderpost Beetle Conversations – 7 Point Prescription

1. Exterminate the powderpost beetles. This will require a professional pest exterminator who has access to solutions that are available only to licensed pest exterminators.
2. Replace infested wood with new wood that has been properly kiln dried and certified free of powderpost beetles.
3. Ventilate every area of your home (crawl spaces, walls, roof) to keep the wood dry — a condition powderpost beetles do not like.
4. Never store firewood inside your home, even for brief periods of time.
5. Never build using lumber that has been lying around in a garage, barn, basement, outside.
6. Thoroughly inspect all furniture (especially imported furniture) for the presence of powderpost beetles. Look for the tale-tale pin holes that mark their exit from the wood.
7. When purchasing hardwood flooring or paneling (in particular wood of foreign origin), be especially sure to get a statement of certification from the seller that the wood is inspected and free of powderpost beetles.

Do you have a powderpost beetle problem?

Call ApolloX Pest Control

(203) 256-1200

We’re licensed pest exterminators with the required training, skill and experience treating homes and businesses with powderpost beetle issues.