In favorable conditions, organic materials including wood and leather are vulnerable to infestation by a variety of insects. A common wooden furniture pest is the powderpost beetle. There are four types of Powderpost beetles in four families. They go through a complete metamorphosis: adults, eggs, larvae and pupae. Though adults do little damage, it is the larvae that do the major damage.
Most furniture manufacturers of repute treat the wood suitably before converting it into furniture. Wood for Amish furniture is treated appropriately by the skilled Amish craftsmen. This is one of the major reasons why Amish Oak furniture and other Amish made furniture lasts for generations. Following are the four kind of powderpost beetles explained in detail:
True Powderpost Beetles:
The adults are very small, flattened and reddish-brown to black in color. Larvae are white, cream colored, shaped with dark brown heads. Larvae create tunnels in the wood and become pupae. As adults they bore out through the wood, pushing a fine powdery dust out. True Powder post beetles breed in dead and dried hardwoods such as the dead branches and limbs of trees. Old items of furniture and wood antiques are especially vulnerable to attack by the beetles. Damage is usually to the starch-rich sapwood of large-pored hardwoods such as ash, hickory, oak, walnut and cherry. Their diet is starch, sugar and protein in the sapwood of hardwoods Wood that is less than 6% moisture content is seldom attacked .The life cycle averages one year to complete. This wood-boring beetle is the most widespread in the United States.
Death-watch Beetles:
This furniture beetle is found mostly in the eastern half of the United States and it infests structural timbers as well. The Death-watch beetle is found throughout the United States. It attacks building timbers in poorly ventilated areas where moisture tends to collect. The name "Death watch" comes from the ticking sound that the adult makes inside infested wood that is audible during a still night. It is a mating call. Wood in structures and furniture infested by these beetles may go unnoticed until the round adult emergence holes appear in the surface. The characteristic pellets found in the frass and the consistency of the frass is useful in determining what species is infesting the wood. Infested wood can be removed and replaced with treated wood. Reducing the wood moisture content to approximately 12% slows the development of the larvae. The surface of unpainted or otherwise unprotected wood can be treated and the galleries injected with disodium octaborate tetrahydrate. This kills exposed larvae and prevents re-infestation when the eggs hatch and immature larvae begin to penetrate the wood. However, the most effective way to eliminate these infestations is to fumigate using sulfur flouride or methyl bromide.
Long-Horned Beetles or Round-Headed Borers:
Most representatives of this family infest and feed on dead or dying trees. However there are many that feed on living trees. A common source for these beetles indoors is from firewood brought indoors. Firewood should be used very soon after it is brought inside. The beetles of this family lay their eggs in cracks or crevices in the bark or on the surface of rough sawn timbers. The larvae are woodborers. Adults vary in size from 1/2 inch to 3 inches long, and can be easily distinguished from other beetles by their long, thin antennae that may be longer than the body; hence the adults are called long-horned beetles.
Old House Borers:
The Old House Borer is one of the most common from this family, with its larvae hollowing out galleries in seasoned softwood (pine). It is found in older buildings, but is more frequent in newer buildings, (in houses less than 10 years old). It is well established along the Atlantic Coast, but infestations have been reported as far as Louisiana and Minnesota. The life cycle of the old house borer ranges between three to twelve years, but can be longer if conditions are favorable.
Check your furniture for any infestations in all the nooks and corners including the underside. If any of your wooden furniture is infected, be sure to get the wood treated effectively. If you are buying furniture online, be sure it is from a reputed vendor who pre-treats the wood to avoid any infestations for years to come. A little care can go a long way in avoiding unnecessary trouble.
Most furniture manufacturers of repute treat the wood suitably before converting it into furniture. Wood for Amish furniture is treated appropriately by the skilled Amish craftsmen. This is one of the major reasons why Amish Oak furniture and other Amish made furniture lasts for generations. Following are the four kind of powderpost beetles explained in detail:
True Powderpost Beetles:
The adults are very small, flattened and reddish-brown to black in color. Larvae are white, cream colored, shaped with dark brown heads. Larvae create tunnels in the wood and become pupae. As adults they bore out through the wood, pushing a fine powdery dust out. True Powder post beetles breed in dead and dried hardwoods such as the dead branches and limbs of trees. Old items of furniture and wood antiques are especially vulnerable to attack by the beetles. Damage is usually to the starch-rich sapwood of large-pored hardwoods such as ash, hickory, oak, walnut and cherry. Their diet is starch, sugar and protein in the sapwood of hardwoods Wood that is less than 6% moisture content is seldom attacked .The life cycle averages one year to complete. This wood-boring beetle is the most widespread in the United States.
Death-watch Beetles:
This furniture beetle is found mostly in the eastern half of the United States and it infests structural timbers as well. The Death-watch beetle is found throughout the United States. It attacks building timbers in poorly ventilated areas where moisture tends to collect. The name "Death watch" comes from the ticking sound that the adult makes inside infested wood that is audible during a still night. It is a mating call. Wood in structures and furniture infested by these beetles may go unnoticed until the round adult emergence holes appear in the surface. The characteristic pellets found in the frass and the consistency of the frass is useful in determining what species is infesting the wood. Infested wood can be removed and replaced with treated wood. Reducing the wood moisture content to approximately 12% slows the development of the larvae. The surface of unpainted or otherwise unprotected wood can be treated and the galleries injected with disodium octaborate tetrahydrate. This kills exposed larvae and prevents re-infestation when the eggs hatch and immature larvae begin to penetrate the wood. However, the most effective way to eliminate these infestations is to fumigate using sulfur flouride or methyl bromide.
Long-Horned Beetles or Round-Headed Borers:
Most representatives of this family infest and feed on dead or dying trees. However there are many that feed on living trees. A common source for these beetles indoors is from firewood brought indoors. Firewood should be used very soon after it is brought inside. The beetles of this family lay their eggs in cracks or crevices in the bark or on the surface of rough sawn timbers. The larvae are woodborers. Adults vary in size from 1/2 inch to 3 inches long, and can be easily distinguished from other beetles by their long, thin antennae that may be longer than the body; hence the adults are called long-horned beetles.
Old House Borers:
The Old House Borer is one of the most common from this family, with its larvae hollowing out galleries in seasoned softwood (pine). It is found in older buildings, but is more frequent in newer buildings, (in houses less than 10 years old). It is well established along the Atlantic Coast, but infestations have been reported as far as Louisiana and Minnesota. The life cycle of the old house borer ranges between three to twelve years, but can be longer if conditions are favorable.
Check your furniture for any infestations in all the nooks and corners including the underside. If any of your wooden furniture is infected, be sure to get the wood treated effectively. If you are buying furniture online, be sure it is from a reputed vendor who pre-treats the wood to avoid any infestations for years to come. A little care can go a long way in avoiding unnecessary trouble.
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