,powder-post ,beetles in ,buildings     
,what to ,do ,about ,them               
by ,r4 ,a4 ,st4 ,george and ,t4         
,mc,intyre                              
,,powder-,,post ,,beetles               
in ,buildings                           
what to do about them                   
,illustration                           
,leaflet ,no4 #ceh                      
,u4,s4 ,,department ,,of ,,agriculture  
,powder-,post ,beetles in ,buildings    
,,what ,,to ,,do ,,about ,,them         
,powder-post beetles cause extensive    
damage to wood in the structure of      
buildings and to wood products used in  
homes4  ,the larvae1 or grubs1 feed on  
the starch or the cellulose in wood4 ,as
 they feed1 they bore irregular tunnels 
through the wood4 ,borings left in the  
tunnels have the consistency of powder4 
,powder-post beetles can be controlled  
by applying an insecticide to the       
infested wood4 ,how it is applied       
depends on the kind of beetle to be     
controlled and on the extent and        

location of the infestation4 ,in some   
circumstances a spray will suffice2 in  
others1 fumigation is necessary4        
----------------------------------------
----------------------                  
,,common ,,and ,,scientific ,,names ,,of
 ,,insects ,,discussed                  
,southern lyctus beetle        ,lyctus  
planicollis               ,common       
furniture beetle       ,anobium         
punctatum                ,death-watch   
beetle            ,xestobium            
rufovillosum           ,old house borer 
,hylotrupes bajulus                     
,red-shouldered shothole borer          
,xylobiops basilaris                    
,black-horned pine borer                
,callidium antennatum                   
,bamboo powder-post beetle              
,dinoderus minutus                      
,bamboo borer                           
,chlorophorus annularis                 
----------------------------------------
----------------------     ,,kinds      
,powder-post beetles are divided into   

five groups--lyctus beetles1 anobiid    
beetles1 bostrichid beetles1 cerambycid 
beetles1 and cossonid weevils4  ,lyctus 
beetles are reddish to blackish1 about  
#a_/d inch long1 and slightly flattened4
 ,one common species is known as the    
southern lyctus beetle4  ,anobiid       
beetles are similar to lyctus beetles in
 color and size1 but are cylindrical4   
,the common furniture beetle and the    
death-watch beetle belong in this group4
  ,bostrichid beetles are reddish1      
brown1 or black2 they are #a_/h to #c_/d
 inch long1 and cylindrical4  ,the heads
 of anobiids and bostrichids are        
directed downward and are covered by a  
hood4  ,the cerambycids1 also known as  
roundheaded or long-horned beetles1 are 
blue1 black1 or pale yellow to reddish  
brown1 and often bear distinctive       
markings on the head or the wing covers4
 ,they are #a_/b to #a inch long1 and   
vary in shape4 ,the old house borer     
belongs in this group4 ,it is black1 and
 has grayish markings on the wing       

covers4 ,it is about #c_/d inch long4   
,cossonid weevils are reddish brown or  
black1 #a_/h to #a_/e inch long1 and    
oval to cylindrical4 ,their heads are   
drawn out to form a short1 broad beak4  
,cossonids are the only weevils that    
infest wood2 other weevils infest grain 
or growing crops4     ,,life ,,cycle    
,the adult females lay eggs on or in    
wood4 ,the eggs hatch into larvae1 which
 develop as they tunnel the wood4 ,the  
tunneling continues throughout the      
larval stage1 which lasts for months or 
years1 depending on the kind of beetle4 
,the full-grown larvae transform to     
pupae1 which become adult beetles4  ,the
 adults of many kinds of powder-post    
beetles bore circular holes to the      
surface of the wood and emerge2 others  
make oval holes4 ,some emerge in early  
spring2 others1 including the old house 
borer1 emerge in early summer4 ,mating  
and egg laying follow4  ,the life cycle 
of lyctus beetles varies from #c months 
to #a year1 depending on the species and

 on regional differences in temperature1
 moisture1 and availability of wood of  
high food value4  ,the life cycle of    
anobiid beetles is sometimes completed  
in about #a year and sometimes in #b    
years4  ,most of the bostrichids and    
cerambycids complete the cycle in about 
#a year1 but a few of the latter require
 several years4 ,the old house borer1 a 
cerambycid1 requires #e to #g years in  
the ,north1 and less time in the ,south4
 ,in all but a few months of its life   
cycle1 it is in the larval stage4       
,larvae #c or #d years old are often    
found in the woodwork of buildings only 
#a or #b years old--evidence that stored
 lumber is a source of infestation4     
,cossonid weevils complete the cycle in 
about #a year4     ,,egg ,,laying   ,the
 females lay eggs on or in wood that    
satisfies their egg-laying requirements 
and the food requirements of the larvae4
 ,these requirements differ among the   
species4 ,hence different kinds of wood 
are infested by different species of    

beetles4  ,lyctus beetles infest        
hardwoods4 ,cossonid weevils infest     
softwoods4 ,some anobiids1 bostrichids1 
and cerambycids infest hardwoods1 and   
some infest softwoods4  ,for some       
species bark is an egg-laying           
requirement2 for others it is not4      
,some anobiids infest moist wood        
containing decay organisms1 which appear
 to aid development of the larvae4      
,illustration3 ,adult of the southern   
lyctus beetle4  ,illustration3 ,adult of
 the old house borer4  ,illustration3   
,adult of the red-shouldered shothole   
borer1 a bostrichid beetle4  ,cover3    
,adult of an anobiid beetle1 ,xyletinus 
peltatus1 and pine sill damaged by      
larvae of this beetle4  ,the porosity of
 the wood1 the moisture content1 the    
starch or cellulose content--these also 
relate to egg laying4  ,the adults of   
some species remain on the wood from    
which they emerge1 and reinfest it4     
,others crawl or fly to similar wood and
 attack it4  ,a beetle may lay only a   

few eggs or as many as #fj or #gj2 the  
number depends on the species of beetle 
and on the condition of the wood4       
,infestations in ,hardwoods  ,seasoned  
hardwoods4--,beetles that infest        
seasoned hardwoods lay eggs on or in the
 wood from which they emerge4 ,hence the
 same wood may be infested repeatedly4  
,these beetles do not require bark for  
egg laying4  ,illustration3 ,oak board  
damaged by larvae of the southern lyctus
 beetle4  ,lyctus beetles lay eggs in   
exposed pores in the sapwood of oak1    
ash1 hickory1 walnut1 pecan1 gum1       
persimmon1 maple1 cherry1 and a few     
other hardwood species4 ,the larvae are 
found in hardwood flooring1 furniture1  
picture frames1 and trim4  ,anobiid and 
cerambycid beetles lay eggs in crevices 
on the surface of the wood2 cerambycids 
also lay eggs in emergence holes4       
,bostrichid beetles that bore into      
seasoned hardwoods often bore chambers  
at the sides of their tunnels and lay   
eggs in them4  ,unseasoned              

hardwoods4--,bostrichids that infest    
green and seasoning hardwoods lay eggs  
in pores leading from the entrance      
tunnels4 ,the red-shouldered shothole   
borer is one of these4 ,bostrichids     
frequently attack bark-covered wood4    
,they usually do not reinfest the wood  
from which they emerge4   ,infestations 
in ,softwoods  ,seasoned                
softwoods4--,some kinds of beetles      
infest seasoned softwood lumber used in 
the structure of buildings4  ,certain of
 the bostrichids require bark for egg   
laying4 ,they infest lumber that has    
bark on the edges4 ,such lumber is often
 used in framing1 subflooring1 and      
roofing4 ,the females lay eggs in the   
bark4 ,the larvae of some species       
complete their development in it2 others
 go to the adjacent wood to do so4 ,the 
adult females may reinfest the wood from
 which they emerge4  ,other beetles that
 infest seasoned softwoods do not       
require bark for egg laying4 ,among them
 are the old house borer and the        

cossonid weevils4 ,the females lay eggs 
in crevices in the wood4 ,they may      
infest the same wood repeatedly4  ,the  
old house borer infests framing and     
subflooring4 ,it is found in old and new
 construction and in stored lumber4     
,cossonid weevils are found in pine     
flooring1 baseboards1 wall stops1 and   
roof trusses4  ,unseasoned              
softwoods4--,the beetles that infest    
green and seasoning softwoods include   
several cerambycids--for example1 the   
black-horned pine borer--and a few      
bostrichids4 ,most of these beetles     
require bark for egg laying4 ,the adult 
females usually do not reinfest the wood
 from which they emerge2 they seek other
 unseasoned wood and lay eggs in the    
bark4  ,illustration3 ,larva of the old 
house borer4 ,enlarged about #e4        
,infestations in ,bamboo  ,certain      
species of bostrichid1 cerambycid1 and  
lyctus beetles infest bamboo products   
such as furniture4 ,venetian blinds1    
draw drapes1 baskets1 fans1 and fishing 

poles4  ,plant-quarantine inspectors at 
,united ,states ports of entry often    
intercept the beetles in bamboo products
 imported from the ,far ,east4 ,among   
the beetles intercepted are the bamboo  
powder-post beetle1 a bostrichid1 and   
the bamboo borer1 a cerambycid4 ,these  
beetles and the lyctus beetles may      
reinfest the material from which they   
emerge4  ,illustration3 ,pine floor     
joist damaged by larvae of the old house
 borer     ,,damage   ,the increase in  
building activity that followed ,world  
,war ,,ii brought the destructiveness of
 powder-post beetles to widespread      
attention4 ,the more buildings1 the more
 damage4  ,the old house borer is       
rapidly spreading over the eastern half 
of the ,united ,states1 and is found    
more and more in lumber used in new     
construction4 ,it is becoming one of the
 most serious pests of wood in          
buildings4  ,powder-post beetles damage 
wood by tunneling and by cutting surface
 holes4  ,tunneling is done by the      

larvae of all kinds of powder-post      
beetles1 and by adult bostrichids and   
cossonid weevils4 ,the larvae of anobiid
 beetles leave elongate pellets of      
excreted wood in their tunnels4 ,other  
larvae leave powderlike borings4        
,severely damaged wood becomes a crumbly
 mass of pellets or of borings1 and     
sometimes has a honeycombed appearance4 
,since the insects do most of their     
tunneling in sapwood1 structural damage 
is rare in large timbers4  ,surface     
holes mar the appearance of wood4 ,those
 most commonly seen are made by adult   
beetles when they emerge from the wood4 
,those made by many of the smaller      
beetles are about #a_/h inch in         
diameter4 ,they give wood the appearance
 of having been hit by buckshot1 and are
 called shotholes4 ,larger beetles make 
holes #a_/d to #c_/h inch in diameter4  
,emergence holes made by the old house  
borer are oval4 ,the lengthwise         
measurement is about #a_/d inch4  ,the  
larvae of some species1 including the   

lyctus beetles1 make holes to the       
surface of the wood and expel borings   
through them4 ,the larvae of the old    
house borer seldom pierce the surface2  
they pack their borings behind them4    
,,detection   ,aside from observing     
tunneled wood1 there are several ways of
 detecting powder-post beetle damage4   
,you may see surface holes1 or borings  
that have been ejected from them4 ,the  
borings may be in piles near the holes  
or1 where timbers overhead are attacked1
 they may be on the floor below4  ,you  
may see adult beetles crawling on the   
wood4  ,in quiet surroundings you may   
hear a rasping or ticking sound that is 
made by tunneling larvae4 ,this is the  
best way to detect larvae of the old    
house borer4 ,their ticking is sometimes
 audible several feet from where they   
are working4 ,by determining the source 
of the sound and by probing the wood    
with a sharp tool1 you can locate the   
tunnels4 ,a further aid is to look for  
blistered wood4  ,sometimes the larvae  

of cerambycid beetles can be heard      
working beneath bark on green or        
partially seasoned wood4 ,they          
frequently are found in firewood4 ,they 
resemble the old house borer1 but they  
have different habits and do not infest 
seasoned wood4 ,when the adults emerge1 
they seek more green wood to attack4 ,if
 they cannot escape from the building1  
they die in a few days4     ,,what ,,to 
,,do   ,consider whether the control    
problem is one that you can handle      
yourself or whether it is one that      
requires the services of a pest-control 
operator4  ,if you have a severe        
infestation1 or one that is behind      
paneled or plastered walls1 or in some  
other hard-to-reach place1 it may be    
that only an experienced pest-control   
operator with the proper equipment can  
do a satisfactory job4  ,if the         
infestation is light and easy to reach1 
you may be able to handle the control   
job yourself4 ,spraying or brush-coating
 the wood with an insecticide may       

suffice4  ,if wood has been so badly    
damaged that its structural strength is 
impaired1 it should be replaced4        
,coordinate the repair work with the    
control work4   ,spraying or ,brushing  
,beetles that make numerous small holes 
in the surface of wood are controlled by
 saturating the wood with a deodorized  
kerosene1 such as deobase or ultrasene1 
which contains either #e percent ,,ddt1 
#b percent chlordane1 #j4e percent      
dieldrin1 or #j4e percent lindane4      
,with #a gallon of any of these         
materials you can treat at least #ajj   
square feet of wood surface4 ,use no    
more of the material in a single        
application than is needed to wet the   
surface4 ,repeat the application until  
the wood is saturated4 ,apply with a    
garden sprayer or a paintbrush4  ,the   
treatment is also effective against     
infestations in furniture and other wood
 products4  ,for best results in        
treating any kind of material1 first    
remove the finish4 ,this is especially  

desirable when you treat a large area1  
such as a floor1 but it may not be      
desirable when you treat ornamental     
products4 ,where an infestation in a    
floor is so small that removal of the   
finish is undesirable1 go ahead and     
treat the floor1 but do not walk on it  
until it has dried4 ,the drying takes   
several hours4  ,the old house borer and
 other beetles that do not make entrance
 holes in the surface of the wood can   
also be controlled by surface           
applications of these chemicals4 ,larger
 quantities must be used1 however1      
especially where thicker wood is        
concerned1 such as floor joists1 studs1 
and roof rafters4 ,for such materials1  
at least #a4e pints of the insecticide  
per cubic foot of wood is needed to     
reach the beetle larvae4 ,this is       
equivalent to treating the exposed      
surfaces of #g linear feet of a #b- by  
#aj-;inch floor joist1 #ab feet of a #b-
 by #f-;inch roof rafter1 #ah feet of   
#b- by #d-;inch studding1 or #ab square 

feet of subflooring4 ,even with this    
thorough treatment1 it may take from #c 
weeks to #c months before all the larvae
 are reached and killed4  ,the homeowner
 can best apply such a quantity of      
insecticide by using a sprayer or a     
pint-size plastic wash bottle of the    
squeeze type1 equipped with a tube that 
will produce a pinpoint stream4 ,this   
makes it possible to apply small enough 
quantities to cover the surface without 
causing the liquid to run off4 ,repeated
 applications at different times are    
necessary for complete absorption by the
 wood and effective penetration4 ,a     
pest-control operator can obtain results
 quickly by injecting the chemical under
 pressure through boreholes spaced at   
short intervals in the infested wood4   
,slow-,diffusion ,method  ,where        
pressure equipment is not available and 
you want to use the bore-hole or        
slow-diffusion method on isolated       
infestations in wood that is readily    
accessible1 you can use the following   

procedure3  #a4 ,bore a downslanting    
hole about #a_/b inch in diameter and #a
 inch deep into the wood near the place 
where a larva is working4  #b4 ,insert a
 tight-fitting metal or glass tube in   
the hole4 ,let about #a_/d inch of the  
tube project4  #c4 ,place one end of a  
rubber tube over the projecting portion 
of the metal or glass tube1 and connect 
the other end with a funnel4 ,the funnel
 should be supported so that it will    
stay in place until the treatment has   
been completed4  #d4 ,pour insecticide  
into the funnel4 ,use any of the        
preparations mentioned in the discussion
 of spraying and brushing4 ,leave the   
equipment in place about #dh hours1 or  
until the insecticide is taken up4 ,the 
insecticide flows into the infested     
wood1 is absorbed for a distance of     
several inches around the hole1 and     
reaches and kills the larva4  ,if       
several larvae are working in places as 
much as #ah inches apart1 individual    
treatment is needed4   ,fumigation      

,treatment of a heavy infestation of    
powder-post beetles by spraying or      
brushing or by the slow-diffusion method
 is impractical where the wood is hard  
to reach2 particularly when it is       
located behind plastered walls or       
covered by paneling or insulation4      
,such an infestation can be controlled  
by fumigation--but this work must be    
done by a licensed fumigator4           
,hydrocyanic acid gas or methyl bromide 
gas is used in fumigating4 ,each is very
 poisonous1 and heavy dosages have to be
 used4  ,after fumigation1 the building 
must be aired to make it safe for       
reoccupancy4 ,the fumigating and the    
airing require #b to #d days4           
,fumigation methods of the home-remedy  
type--such as burning sulfur            
candles--are ineffective because the    
fumigant does not penetrate the infested
 wood4     ,,precautions   ,the         
insecticides mentioned in this leaflet  
are poisonous to people and to animals4 
,keep them where children and pets      

cannot reach them4 ,do not let them come
 in contact with the body4 ,when        
applying them1 wear rubber gloves1 a    
cellulose acetate type of face-guard1   
and a rubber or leather apron4 ,when    
spraying an overhead area1 do not stand 
directly under it4  ,guarding against   
explosions4--,apply a coarse spray4 ,it 
is effective and safe to use4 ,a        
concentrated fine mist is ineffective   
and may explode in the presence of a    
spark or flame4 ,do not smoke while     
spraying4 ,shut off pilot lights4       
,pressure4--,in spraying1 use only      
enough pressure to wet the surface of   
the wood4 ,too much pressure may cause  
spray to splash onto the body4 ,if you  
apply the insecticide in an enclosed    
place1 make sure that the air can       
circulate freely4 ,keep doors and       
windows open2 if necessary1 use a fan4  
,the purpose is to prevent odors from   
accumulating in the building4  ,if you  
treat a floor that has a finished       
ceiling under it--for example1 the floor

 of a second-story room--avoid applying 
too much material4 ,if you do1 it may   
run through to the ceiling and cause a  
stain4 ,removal of the floor finish     
before applying the insecticide makes it
 unnecessary to apply a large amount2   
the wood absorbs most of it4  ,if you   
apply the oil solution to parquet       
flooring1 do it very lightly4 ,if you   
apply too much1 the oil may dissolve the
 asphalt in which the flooring is set4  
,the dissolved asphalt may stain the    
floor4 ,around the edges of the floor1  
it may creep up and damage the walls4   
,if you have applied insecticide with a 
garden sprayer1 rinse out the tank and  
hose before putting the sprayer away4   
,this prevents the gaskets from         
shriveling and keeps oil from getting on
 plants the next time the sprayer is    
used in the garden4  ,food              
cabinets4--,in treating a food cabinet1 
do not use an insecticide because it    
might contaminate food4 ,use deodorized 
kerosene alone4 ,it has little odor and 

evaporates quickly4 ,take the cabinet   
outdoors to treat it1 and leave it there
 until the kerosene odor disappears4    
,fumigation4--,the fact that fumigation 
work must be done by a licensed operator
 is stated on page #g4  ,only isolated  
buildings can be safely fumigated4 ,if  
an apartment1 a row house1 or part of a 
duplex were fumigated1 the gas might    
penetrate walls and kill persons in an  
adjoining unit4  ,methyl bromide gas is 
odorless1 but in the presence of        
articles having a high sulfur content1  
or containing animal matter1 sponge     
rubber1 or iodized salt1 a chemical     
change takes place and a garliclike odor
 is apt to be given off later4 ,before  
this gas is used1 see whether such      
articles are in the building2 if they   
are1 remove them4 ,this need not be done
 if hydrocyanic acid gas is used4       
,however1 hydrocyanic acid gas tarnishes
 silver and spoils unexposed            
photographic film2 before it is used1   
remove silver and film4                 

,prepared by ,r4 ,a4 ,st4 ,george and   
,t4 ,mc,intyre1 entomologists1          
,division of ,forest insect ,research1  
,forest ,service                        
,washington1 ,d4,c4  ,revised ,november 
#aiei                    ,u4,s4         
,,government ,,printing ,,office3 #aiei 
,for sale by the ,superintendent of     
,documents1 ,u4,s4 ,government          
,printing ,office ,washington #be1      
,d4,c4 - ,price #e cents                
,transcriber ,note   ,illustrations     
moved to prevent splitting paragraphs4