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Wood-Boring Beetles
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 Wood-Infesting Beetles include several varieties, such as:  Lyctid, Anobiid, Buprestid and Cerambycid.  Common names include Powder Post Beetles, Deathwatch Beetles, Flatheaded Borers and Roundheaded Borers respectively.  These beetles do all their destruction of wood in the larval stage of the life cycle.  Generally the mature female will lay eggs into the bark of dead or dying trees and the eggs hatch into the larval stage.  They bore into the tree and begin the slow process of eating and growing.  Some species can develop into adults within one year and others (if conditions are poor) can remain in the larval stage for 20 or more years continually eating the wood.  The extent of damage is not determined by how long the larva feeds but by whether or not the species is capable of reinfesting the same material upon mature adult emergence out of the wood.  In other words, some species have been found to emerge as adults and then lay eggs on the same wood material, which results in a continual feeding frenzy on structural timbers.  While others will simply fly away and lay eggs into other dead or dying trees.  There are different sizes and shapes of Wood-Boring Beetles and each has a distinct type of frass (sawdust-like feces).  Some prefer softwoods while others infest only hardwoods.  All of these differences help in determining how to control an infestation.  Some require no control because they will not reinfest after the adult emerges and others do require treatment or at least replacement of the damaged and infested wood.  It all comes down to the species and we can determine that when we perform our inspection.  Sometimes a customer will notice a hole or two in their siding that didn't used to be there and this can cause great concern but it is frequently found that the beetle larva has just taken a long time to grow and pupate into an adult before chewing its way out of the wood never to return.  Other times there is nothing left of the wood but a powdery mess.  The most important thing a homeowner can do when Wood-Boring Beetles are suspected of infesting your structure is to contact a professional pest control operator.  We at Rambo Total Pest Control are here for you and we will not steer you wrong.  You can trust us with all your Wood-Boring Beetle questions.