Powderpost beetles and carpenter ants are common insects that can damage your home. Some wood-destroying insects eat wood while others cause harm as they burrow through it. Let’s look at these two wood-destroying insects, besides termites, that threaten the condition of houses.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants usually establish their nests between the walls of a building, in hollow-core doors, and hollow trees. Their preference is for wood that is weak or rotting. They don’t eat wood, but they create tunnels through it. Once a nest is established, sufficient moisture levels are produced from the ants’ activity to cause rot.
Signs of carpenter ants include wood shavings in areas like window and door sills. Finding the exact location of a nest is challenging and usually requires a professional inspection. Check areas where rotting wood is suspected; these areas include spots around windows, chimneys, and near water pipes.
Wood-Destroying Insects Include Powderpost Beetles
Powderpost beetles are brown beetles that have small heads and elongated bodies. Their size ranges in length between 1/8 and 3/4 inches. Powderpost beetles lay their eggs on wood or just beneath its surface. Upon hatching, the larvae feed, chewing the wood to tunnel to its surface.
Damage from these insects is typically found in paneling, floors, planks, door frames, and, and furniture. As their name indicates, these beetles turn the wood that they eat into a fine powder.
Controlling and Preventing Wood-Destroying Insects
Protecting your home from these insects includes keeping basements, crawl spaces, and attics dry and well-ventilated. Fix leaks such as dripping faucets, the AC unit’s hoses, and water pipes. Fascia, soffits, and roof shingles that are rotting should be repaired. Loose mortar and cracks in foundations create an easy entrance for wood-destroying insects.
To help control wood-destroying insects, hire a professional to conduct a WDI inspection. When the type of insect and extent of the damage have been determined, action can be taken. Regular wood-destroying insect inspections can catch an early infestation to prevent serious damage.
Spot On Inspection offers home inspection services, including wood-destroying insect inspections. Contact us to request an appointment.