Saturday, we went to a customer who was complaining that she had small
piles of sawdust on the floor of an out building. We investigated and
sure enough, we found about a dozen piles of sawdust that looked like
the picture on the right. The sawdust was very fine with the consistency of talcum powder. This is characteristic of powder post beetles, but they are usually in overhead beams and we couldn't fine any holes in the wood on the ceiling, so where was it coming from? I took one of the piles and blew the sawdust away. As you can see from the next picture, on the floor was a hole (it's right dead center in the picture), the adult beetle had laid eggs in a crevice on the surface of the floor and the larva from the hatched eggs were tunneling into the floor and pushing the sawdust out behind them. Very unusual! They were feeding on the wood and then would emerge at a future date as adult beetles and the cycle would repeat itself. We treated the floor. They have occasionally been reported emerging from newly installed hardwood floors, but this is first time I've ever done this for powder post beetles seemingly just starting into the floor. Powder post beetles and other wood destroying beetles can be as damaging as termites, it just takes them a lot longer to do the same amount of damage.
Saturday, we went to a customer who was complaining that she had small
piles of sawdust on the floor of an out building. We investigated and
sure enough, we found about a dozen piles of sawdust that looked like
the picture on the right. The sawdust was very fine with the consistency of talcum powder. This is characteristic of powder post beetles, but they are usually in overhead beams and we couldn't fine any holes in the wood on the ceiling, so where was it coming from? I took one of the piles and blew the sawdust away. As you can see from the next picture, on the floor was a hole (it's right dead center in the picture), the adult beetle had laid eggs in a crevice on the surface of the floor and the larva from the hatched eggs were tunneling into the floor and pushing the sawdust out behind them. Very unusual! They were feeding on the wood and then would emerge at a future date as adult beetles and the cycle would repeat itself. We treated the floor. They have occasionally been reported emerging from newly installed hardwood floors, but this is first time I've ever done this for powder post beetles seemingly just starting into the floor. Powder post beetles and other wood destroying beetles can be as damaging as termites, it just takes them a lot longer to do the same amount of damage.
I have found several piles of fine sawdust as you describe. I have also found a hardened ball/pile of what looks to be the same material as the sawdust. The hardened pile has a small hole in it and is located in a drawer near the fresh pile of dust. There is also some of the dust in there. There are some parts (wings...) of flies in there. It does not look like it is coming from above. I have hardwood floors that were installed about 10 years ago. This is at my cottage. Any ideas suggestions? Thanks
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I really like your take on the issue. I now have a clear idea on what this matter is all about..
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