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4 Things You Need To Know About Anobiid Powderpost Beetles

You probably already know that termites can damage the wood throughout your home, but you may not know that lots of other insects can do the same thing. You may discover other wood-destroying insects, like Anobiid powderpost beetles, in your home. Here are four things you need to know about Anobiid powderpost beetles.

What do they look like?

Anobiid powderpost beetles are small beetles; they are less than 5/16 of an inch long. Their bodies are slim and cylindrical, and when viewed from above, their eyes are not visible. Their bodies can vary significantly in color and can range from reddish-brown to black.

Where can you find them?

These beetles like cold temperatures and are most common in buildings that are either unheated or infrequently heated. This means that you may find them in your cottage or shed. However, they can also infest heated homes. When they do, they can be found in colder parts of the home like crawlspaces, basements, utility rooms, and garages.

Anobiid powderpost beetles prefer to live in moist wood, specifically, wood with a moisture content above 14%. Due to this preference, pay special attention to water-damaged or highly humid parts of your home.

How are they unique?

At first glance, Anobiid powderpost beetles seem identical to other types of powderpost beetles, but these pests have some unique characteristics that homeowners need to be aware of. Unlike other types of powderpost beetles, who only infest hardwoods, Anobiids can infest both hardwoods and softwoods.

Hardwoods include oak, ash and walnut and may be used to make window and door frames or hardwood floors. Softwoods include maple, beech, and pine and may be used to make rafters, joists, and the rest of the frame of your home. Since Anobiids can infest both types of wood, they can do more than just superficial damage to your home; they can destroy its inner structure.

How can you control them?

Due to their unique wood-eating habits, Anobiid powderpost beetles are harder to get rid of than the other types. Other types of powderpost beetles cause damage to easy-to-access areas, so it's fairly simple to just remove and replace the infested wood. Since Anobiids can also infest the frame of your house, removing the wood isn't really practical.

Hard-to-reach wood can be treated with fumigation. This is not something you can do by yourself. A pest control company will cover your home in a tent and then pump pesticides into your home; the tent will remain in place for up to a week to make sure all of the pests are dead.

If you think your house is infested with Anobiid powderpost beetles, call a pest control company like Pest Extermination by Peninsula Pest Control right away.