Wood Boring Beetles

Wood Boring Beetles

Powderpost Beetle
The ThermaPure process is effective against wood-boring beetles. There are three groups of wood-boring beetles which invade and damage harvested wood used in structures and furniture. They are the powderpost beetles, deathwatch beetles, and false powderpost beetles. Many wood borers are introduced into a structure through furniture, where they will lay their eggs.

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Powderpost Beetle
One of the defining characteristics of the powder post beetle is the evidence of the infestation, a small pile of powder.  This powder is the chewed and digested wood the beetles have eaten.  The other visible indicator of infestation and second defining characteristic is the appearance of numerous “shot holes” in the wood surface.  These small, round holes may only be 1/16” in diameter.  Only when the wood is actually opened do you see the criss-crossing, powder-filled tunnels damaging the wood.

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The powderpost beetle mainly attacks dry hardwoods (as low as 8% moisture) because the nature of the woods’ pores allows it to lay eggs. Infestations are most likely to occur if the larvae of beetles are brought in with furniture. Deathwatch beetles prefer older, moist woods (as much as 14% moisture) and will attack girders, beams, and foundation timbers.

They may also be found in certain types of furniture. False powderpost beetles tend to infest floors, furniture, hardwood paneling, and various other wood materials. They have also been known to bore through softer metals such as silver or lead.

The ThermaPureHeat® process is effective, non-chemical, tool for fighting and preventing these wood-boring beetles.  It has been demonstrated (Houseman 2007) that all developmental stages of wood boring beetles are killed if a temperature of at least 120°F is maintained for over 30 minutes.  As an added benefit of using the ThermaPure process, not only will these beetles be eradicated, but the structure they were within will be disinfected.

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