When dealing with one of the most aggravating of all wood destroying insect infestations, the powderpost beetle, it’s imperative that you act very fast.
If you encounter powderpost beetles in hardwood floors, delayed action might cause you to replace the entire hardwood flooring- and this is way more expensive and time-consuming.
Let’s show you a perfect and effective solution for eliminating these nasty wood-destroying insects.
4 Ways to Get Rid of Powderpost Beetles in Hardwood Floors
Table of Contents
Kiln Dry Rough-cut Lumber
If the powderpost infestation is in rough-cut lumber, eliminating them is very simple. All you need to do is take the lumber to a sawmill and have it kiln dried. This will eliminate the beetles as well as their eggs and larvae.
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Freeze the Wood Items
If you have infested small wood items, place them in the freezer at zero degrees Fahrenheit for at least 72 hours. This will kill the beetle larvae and adults, but it may not totally eliminate all the eggs.
So, check the item occasionally for any sign of damage over the next year.
Use Borates
Getting rid of these tiny pests on your wood items or your hardwood floor may be a little bit complicated, but it’s nothing pesticides containing borates cannot fix.
You can find these pesticides available as liquids or as a powder to be mixed with water. They are meant to be sprayed or brush-coated onto the infested wood.
When applying the pesticide yourself, ensure to treat the entire affected area. This is to prevent the infestation from spreading.
Powderpost beetle infestation usually moves upwards when it spreads, so inspect the space above the area of infestation and treat there, too, if needed.
If you are dealing with an infestation inside paneled or plastered walls or any hard-to-reach area, it might be difficult to apply the pesticide thoroughly enough.
In this case, you may need the help of a professional. The powderpost beetle’s life cycle usually ranges from three months to a year, so you will need several applications of pesticide to eliminate the beetle population completely.
If the wood is very dry, it might be difficult for the pesticide to penetrate deeply enough to reach the larvae already within the wood. So it is recommended to spray the wood with some water before applying the pesticide.
Your wood might need to re-treated after three to six months.
Use Fumigation
If the infestation persists even after several applications of common borate pesticides, you might need to fumigate your home.
Fumigation involves the use of powerful pesticides available only to professionals.
These pesticides are safe to use on antique furniture or other delicate wood items and very effective too.
These chemicals do not even leave a residue, and you can place Smaller items in the fumigation chamber.
If part of your house is infested, you can hire a pest controller toto bring the appropriate equipment to fumigate the area. But you’ll need to evacuate the house for several days.
Fumigation can eliminate postpowder beetles at any stage of development, but keep in mind that it won’t prevent future attacks.
How To Prevent Powderpost Beetles Infestation In Hardwood Floors
After treating and eliminating the powderpost beetle infestation, it is important that you prevent their return. Here are a few ways you can prevent powderpost beetles infestation in hardwood floor:
- Properly inspect every new piece of wood that is brought into your home. Ensure every furniture, wood item, and flooring is varnished, waxed, painted, and completely dried by either air-drying or kiln-drying; there should be no moisture levels found inside the wood.
- Keep all wood products away from barns and sheds, and always use new wood when replacing a structural joint in the home.
- Address all moisture issues in your home immediately as they are noticed to prevent powderpost beetles infestation. This you can do by Implementing central heat, humidifiers, and good ventilation; all this will ensure that moisture level is reduced in your home, inside your hardwood floor, and other wooden components.
- Keep off wooden items from the area of infestation to prevent the spread.
- Surface treatments should be implemented on the wood. This involves treating infestations with a pesticide containing “borate,” such as BoraCare or Timbor. These products penetrates deep into the wood thereby eliminating powderpost beetles inside the wood as well as those entering or exiting the surface of the wood. BoraCare and Timbor also prevents the growth of powderpost beetles by eliminating the larvae inside the wood.
Conclusion
Powderpost beetles in hardwood floors can cause great damage if not promptly attended to as these beetles can eat deep into the wood.
Ensure to always wear a protective mask when treating an infested wood, proper ventilation as well a necessity. If the products used tends to have a pungent smell, it is advices to leave the area to avoid inhale such chemical.
The methods discussed above are sure ways to get rid of powderpost beetles from your floor as well as other wooden items, follow them carefully and your wood will be safe from infestation.
