Powder post beetles work slowly, but over time they can cause structural damage to your home. Grab a flashlight and put on your glasses, then get set to make sure powder post beetles aren't lurking in the woodwork of your home.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 1 hour
Here's How:
- Go to your home's crawl space or basement and look on the ground or floor for little puffs of sawdust that mirror the configuration of floor joists above. Powderpost beetles leave sawdust trails when they exit wood. (The more distance sawdust must travel to reach the floor, the more scattered it will be.)
- Inspect the wooden joists above you--looking for powderpost beetle exit holes. Holes are tiny, about the size of a pin head, so look closely, using a magnifying glass if necessary.
- Inspect the perimeter of the house, keeping a close watch for little clumps of sawdust on the ground. If you find sawdust, look for beetle exit holes in the wood above.
- Go inside and inspect the floor beneath all wood paneling, looking again for sawdust piles. If you find sawdust, look for powder post beetle exit holes above it.
- Inspect the attic in the same way, looking for sawdust trails under beams and on the floor next to wooden walls.
- If you find evidence of powder post beetles, contact a professional for extermination advice.
Tips:
- Powder post beetles prefer moist wood. Cover exposed earth in the basement or crawlspace with a plastic barrier to help reduce humidity.
- Larger exit holes in wood may indicate other types of wood destroying insects. Get expert advice.
- Old pieces of furniture can harbor powder post beetles. Cover small items with plastic and place them in a deep freezer for a few days.
- Sawdust usually continues to spill from exit holes after the powderpost beetles have gone.
What You Need:
- flashlight