The term woodboring beetle encompasses many species and families of beetles
whose larval or adult forms eat and destroy wood. In the woodworking
industry, larval stages of some are sometimes referred to as woodworms. The
three most speciose families of woodboring beetles are longhorn beetles,
bark beetles and weevils, and metallic flat-headed borers.
Ecology Woodboring beetles most often attack
dying or dead trees. In forest settings, they are important in the turnover of
trees by culling weak trees, thus allowing new growth to occur. They are
also important as primary decomposers of trees within forest systems, allowing
for the recycling of nutrients locked away in the relatively decay-resilient
woody material of trees. Though the vast majority of woodboring beetles are
ecologically important and economically benign, some species can become economic
pests by attacking relatively healthy trees or by infesting downed trees in
lumber yards. Species such as the Asian longhorn beetle and the emerald ash
borer are examples of invasive species that threaten nature forest ecosystems.
Invasion and control Woodboring beetles are commonly detected
a few years after new construction. The lumber supply may have contained wood
infected with beetle eggs or larvae, and since beetle life cycles can be one or
more years, several years may pass before the presence of beetles becomes
noticeable. If you have an infestation of woodboring beetles, it is best to
consult a professional entomologist before contacting an exterminator. In
many cases, the beetles will be of a type that only attacks living wood, and
thus incapable of "infesting" any other pieces of wood, or doing any further
damage. In other words, only some types of beetles should be of concern to a
homeowner or a household, and exterminators may be unable or unwilling
to make this distinction. Genuine infestations are far more likely
in areas with high humidity, such as poorly ventilated crawl spaces. Housing
with central heating/air-conditioning tends to cut the humidity of wood in the
living areas to less than half of natural humidity, thus strongly reducing
the likelihood of an infestation. Infested furniture should be removed
from the house before the infestation spreads.
Methods of treatment include: Spot application of pesticides; however,
most effective insecticides are obtainable only by certified
professionals. Freezing. Infested furniture may be
wrapped in plastic and placed in walk-in freezers for several weeks.
Fumigation. Heat Treatment. Timber is heated to
50-70 degree Celsius for a few hours. Some beetles invade wood used in
construction and furniture making; others limit their activity to forests
or roots of living trees. The following lists some of those beetles that are
house pests. Ambrosia beetle
Common furniture beetle Deathwatch beetle
Flat-headed wood-borer Powderpost beetle
Old-house borers See also
Bark beetles and weevils Carpenter ants
Longhorn beetles Metallic flat-headed borers
Termites Wood ants
References ^ Hickin, Norman E.. "Woodworm and its
control". New Scientist 4: 202–204. External links
V. R. Lewis, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, UC Berkeley; and
S. J. Seybold, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station,
Davis, Calif. "Wood-Boring Beetles in Homes". University of California
Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Statewide IPM Program, UC ANR
Publication 7418. University of California, Davis. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
Barb Ogg, PhD, Extension Educator. "Wood-destroying Beetles". University of
Nebraska–Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
John A. Jackman, Professor and Extension Entomologist. "Structure-Infesting
Wood-Boring Beetles". Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Texas A&M University
Department of Entomology. Retrieved 2013-06-05.