Powder Post Beetles

Powder post beetles attack dead and dried hardwood. Outdoors they can be found invading fallen limbs and dead tree branches. Inside, people often end up with powder post beetle infestations when they bring items, especially older furniture and antiques, into their homes that have been infested. Other examples of where powder post beetles can be found include joists, rafters, flooring, paneling, and stored lumber. The beetles will enter into the wood to breed as it is being stored and cured, they will then emerge from the finished product and into your home.

Identification

Powder post beetles are small insects that range in length from 1/16 to 3/16 of an inch and they are reddish-brown to black in color. They have an elongated, narrow body with antennae that have a 2-segmented club. Their body is generally covered in rows of hair and they have hardened front wings called elytra. Their larvae are about 1/4 of an inch in length, C-shaped, and are nearly white in color.

Powder post beetles leave many small holes that are about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch in diameter in the wood that they are infesting. Beneath the holes, fine, powdery dust similar to sawdust will collect. The holes and sawdust are signs that you may be dealing with a powder post beetle infestation in your home.