Wood-boring Beetles & Stored Food Beetles Control
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Powderpost beetle |
Deathwatch beetle |
False powderpost beetle |
Wood-boring beetles
The term woodboring beetle (Wood Borers) encompasses many species and families of beetles whose larval or adult forms eat and destroy wood (i.e., are xylophagous). Larval stages of some are commonly known as woodworms. Wood-boring beetle larvae feed on wood and wood products; adults emerge from larval feeding chambers through round, oblong, or D-shaped exit holes. Adults of some species also bore holes into plaster, plastic, and soft metals.
Depending on the species, wood-boring beetles can feed upon certain hardwoods or softwoods. Some hardwoods are naturally immune, if they have low starch content, or if the pore (vessel) diameters are too small for the female beetle's ovipositor which prevents her from inserting eggs into the substrate.
Items that can be infested by wood-boring beetles include any wooden tools or tool handles, frames, furniture, gun stocks, books, toys, bamboo, flooring, and structural timbers.
Three families of beetles have species of wood borers that invade and damage structural and decorative wood and furniture. These families are the powderpost beetles, deathwatch beetles, and false powderpost beetles.
 
(Powderpost beetle & Infected wood- Photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
Powderpost beetles
The adults are very small, less than 1/4" in size. They are 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. The shape of their holes are round ,about 1/32-1/16 pinholes.
The term "powderpost" comes from the fact that the larvae of these beetles feed on wood and, given enough time, can reduce it to a mass of fine powder. They are therefore considered pests. The family Anobiidae is the only one capable of digesting cellulose, the primary ingredient of wood, and all other species excrete the wood without digesting it.
Powderpost beetles spend months or years inside the wood in the larval stage. Their presence is only apparent when they emerge from the wood as adults, leaving pin hole openings, often called "shot holes" behind and piles of powdery frass below. Shot holes normally range in diameter from 1/32 inch, (0.8 mm) to 1/8 inch (3 mm), depending on the species of beetle. If wood conditions are right, female beetles may lay their eggs and reinfest the wood, continuing the cycle for generations. Heavily-infested wood becomes riddled with holes and rooms or basements packed with a dusty frass wood that has passed through the digestive tract of the beetles. The larvae feed mainly upon starch in the wood.
Deadthwatch beetles
The death watch beetle (Anobiidae) is a woodboring beetle, namely a beetle whose larvae are xylophagous. The adult is approximately 7 mm long. The larva can be up to 11 mm long.
Deathwatch beetles are closely related to the drugstore and cigarette beetles, which are stored-product pests. Adults communicate with each other and probably locate mates by tapping their heads against wood, usually at night. (Deathwatch beetles supposedly acquired their name during medieval European times from people who heard the tapping while sitting up with a sick or dying person during the night.) Adults are reddish to dark brown and lay eggs in crevices or small openings or pores in unfinished wood. Two years may be required to complete each generation.
Deathwatch beetles are found primarily in soft woods, including girders, beams, foundation timbers, and some types of furniture. Some species attack books. This beetle is typically found in old wood and may be associated with wood that is partially decayed. Deathwatch beetles prefer wood that is more moist (greater than 14% moisture) than what powderpost beetles prefer and may be less of a problem in houses with central heating and air conditioning. Larvae of deathwatch beetles fill their galleries with small pellets of frass (smaller than the pellets produced by drywood termites), which distinguish them from other wood borers. None of the other boring beetles produce pelletized frass.
False powderpost beetles
The Bostrichidae are a family of beetles with more than 700 described species. They are commonly called auger beetles, false powderpost beetles or horned powderpost beetles. The head of most auger beetles cannot be seen from above, as it is downwardly directed and hidden by the thorax.
Adults are dark brown or black, sometimes with reddish mouthparts, legs, and antennae. Adults of most species are about 1/4 inch long, but in some species, adults reach 1-1/2 to 2 inches in length. Adult beetles have a humpback appearance, so their head is not visible when viewed from above. This characteristic is also seen in deathwatch beetles.
(Larval galleries of Waterhouse - Photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
Females bore a tunnel, or egg gallery, into wood or other materials, then deposit their eggs in pores or cracks within the tunnel. Adults of some species bore through soft metal, such as lead and silver, as well as plaster and other nonwood materials, searching for sites to deposit eggs or for protection from weather extremes. This gives rise to the common name "leadcable borer" given to one species because of its habit of boring into the metal covering of suspended telephone wires. In buildings, false powderpost beetles infest floors, furniture, hardwood paneling, and other wood materials.
Oriental wood borer (Waterhouse)
Oriental wood borer (Waterhouse) - Photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group
Oriental wood borer (Heterobostrychus aequalis). This genus is about 6-13mm long in length and is reddish-brown to brownish-black in color. The head is not visible from above, as it is recessed beneath the pronotum. The anterior half of the pronotum has broad, toothlike marginal tubercles. The elytra have several rows of deep pits, and toward the rear the wing covers curive inward creating a concave area that in the males is equipped with two stout spines.
The larva is white to yellowish, with a characteristic bostrichid shape, variable in size with most last instars averaging 10 mm. The mandibles are black, conical and the darkest area on the larva. All stages are found in dry lumber which is eaten by the adults and larvae. The eggs are deposited on rough surfaces of sawed lumber and logs, in holes, cracks or short tunnels made by the female. The larval borings may be 1/4 inch wide, winding for several inches. The tunnels are usually filled with tightly packed, fine, sawdust-like material which is characteristic of this genus. Tunnels of most pinhole and shothole borers contain very little such material. Pupation occurs in a cell at the end of the tunnel.
(Pupation occurs in a cell at the end of the tunnel - Photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
The adult emerges through an exit hole, often after chewing through a few inches of wood. Length of development from egg to adult is variable from one to several years (up to six years recorded). Apparently they can survive under dry conditions present in manufactured wood products and emerge several years later, as do some of the Cerambycidae.
(Exit hole ~4mm in diameter for adults of Heterobostrychus aequalis (Waterhouse)- Photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
Its habit of boring in packing cases, boxes, plywood, furniture and lumber make it a serious pest. In heavy infestations the wood is often reduced to powder to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. It is a threat to nearly all wood products, and has even been recorded as boring into the lead linings of boxes. In hardwoods, the damage is usually confined to the sapwood, but may extend deeper in soft woods.
 
Tunnel of Oriental wood borer, tunnel is filled with tightly packed, fine, sawdust-like material - Photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
Management
There is no better defense against wood-boring beetles than a tailor-made treatment plan from Johnson Group
Sanitation Practices
Wood-boring beetles are difficult to control once an infestation has begun. Prevention is the best management method. Protective measures should be taken at every stage of lumber processing and handling including lumber mills, plywood mills, lumber yards, furniture manufacturing factories, and building construction firms.
Sanitation is the most important aspect of prevention. Remove and destroy dead tree limbs around buildings or near any area where wood products are stored. Destroy scrap lumber and other wood products before they become infested. Kiln drying of lumber destroys beetle infestations, although it does not prevent reinfestation.
Protection
Materials used for construction of buildings and wood furniture should be thoroughly inspected before use to be certain that they do not contain wood-boring beetles. Apply liquid insecticides as primary materials for application to structural wood for preventing and remediating infestations of wood-boring beetles.
Protect wood from infestation by painting or varnishing to seal pores, cracks, and holes where eggs could be laid. Most beetle problems are introduced into homes in lumber or finished wood products (i.e., furniture, paneling, or flooring). Most serious infestations occur when infested wood is installed in the house. Inspect wood to insure that wood is not infested at the time of home construction.
Wood finishes
Powderpost beetles only lay eggs on bare, unfinished wood. Beetles will not infest wood that is painted, varnished, waxed, or similarly sealed. Beetles emerging from painted or varnished wood were either in the wood before finishing or were a result of reinfestation by eggs that were laid in emergence holes of adult beetles. Sealing holes prevents reinfestation from eggs laid within the hole.
Wood replacement
Infested wood can be replaced if the infestation appears to be localized. For instance, if emergence holes appear in a member of a door or window frame, the piece can be removed and replaced with a new, uninfested wood.
Ask for help from our Pest Management Professionals
Where removal is not possible, use liquid insecticides containing materials such as permethrin, cypermethrin, or cyfluthrin that are labeled for the control of these pests. Apply the insecticide only to infested areas, but be sure these are thoroughly soaked.
In keeping our words "Reducing any unnecessry use of toxic chemical to further reduce the impact to the rest of environment". Our Pest Management Professionals
will adopt Hole-Injection Method. They use syringe to inject liquid insecticide into the holes one by one. The method can ensure the infested wood is thoroughly soaked and at the same time, avoid over use of insecticide.
Surface treatment (Residual Applications)
Insecticides are labeled for surface treatment of bare, exposed wood. Spraying or brushing insecticides onto infested wood creates a barrier that kills adult beetles as they chew their way out of wood. The barrier also kills newly-hatched larvae as they attempt to bore into wood. For the surface treatments to work properly, they must penetrate the wood. Therefore, the wood should be unfinished or sanded to remove the finish. In certain situations, the surface treatment can penetrate the wood sufficiently to kill larvae within the wood to prevent the further marring of the surface by additional emergence holes of adults.
Fumigation
Fumigation is considered the most effective method of controlling wood-boring beetles. This method is very common especially for exporting lumber or wood packaging materials under the requirements of IPPC & ISPM 15. However, fumigation method of control does not provide residual protection of the wood. An ideal treatment method should involve fumigation, surface treatment by insecticide and, finally painting.
Stored Food Beetles Control
Stored Food Beetles are usually brought into the home in an infested package of food. Initially, infestations are difficult to detect because the insects involved are quite small, especially in the egg and larval stages.
The most common insects infesting food in your home are in the insect orders Coleoptera (beetles). Beetle larvae are either grublike and legless or have only three pairs of legs, all located close to the head. Both larvae and adults of beetles feed on foodstuffs.
Granary and rice weevils
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Granary Weevil (Sitophilus granarius) |
Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae)
(photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group) |
Both granary and rice weevils, often known as "snout weevils," penetrate and feed on the internal portions of whole grains during the larval (immature) stage, making early detection of infestations difficult. They are usually found in grain storage facilities or processing plants, infesting wheat, oats, rye, barley, rice, and corn. Although not often found in the home, sometimes they infest table beans, acorns, chestnuts, birdseed, sunflower seeds, and ornamental corn. They are rarely found in macaroni and spaghetti. Homeowners sometimes refer to infested foods as "weevilly." Granary and rice weevils do not bite or sting humans or pets, spread disease, or feed on or damage the house or furniture.
Red flour beetle and Confused flour beetle
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| Confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum) |
Red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) |
(photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
Red flour beetle
The red flour beetle is a tenebrionid beetle. It is a worldwide stored product pest. Red flour beetles attack stored grain products (flour, cereals, pasta, biscuits, beans, nuts, etc.) causing loss and damage. They may cause an allergic response but are not known to spread disease and cause no damage to structures or furniture. The red flour beetle is of Indo-Australian origin and less able to survive outdoors than the closely related species Tribolium confusum. It has, as a consequence, a more southern distribution, though both species are worldwide in heated premises. The adults are long-lived and may live for more than three years.
Confused flour beetle
The confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum), a type of darkling beetle known as a flour beetle, is a common pest insect known for attacking and infesting stored flour and grain. They are one of the most common and most destructive insect pests for grain and other food products stored in silos, warehouses, grocery stores, and the home.
Both the confused flour beetle and red flour beetle are small, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in length, and reddish-brown in color. The primary distinguishing physical difference is the shape of their antennae: the confused flour beetle's antennae increase gradually in size and have four clubs, while the red flour beetle's antennae have only three. Additionally, red flour beetles have been known to fly short distances, while confused flour beetles do not.
Sawtoothed Grain Beetle
(Sawtoothed beetle - photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
Sawtoothed Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis) attacks cereals, dried fruits & flour etc. This beetle is small and about 2-3mm in length and brown in color. The margins of the thorax are saw-like, bearing six projections on each side, and this is reason for its common name.
Hide Beetle
 
(Hide beetle - photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
(Larva of Hide beetle, with long hairs and two spines on the second to last segment curve upwards - photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
Hide Beetle (Dermestes maculatus) is large beetle that is attracted to dreid or cured meats with high protein content. Adult beetles are about 6-13mm in length, dark gray to black in color with whitish hairs on the edges of the thorax.
Cowpea Weevil
(Cowpea weevil, 3mm in length, - photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
(Pupation occurs in the beans and adults emerge through a round hole in the seed coat - photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
(Cowpea weevils under digital scientific microscope - Video captured by William Hung)
Cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus) are small beetles, 3-5mm in length, reddish in color, and the body narrows evenly toward the small head. This genus will attack dried beans and can be a serious pest in stored beans. Adults move about readily and can infest seeds in the field, but can also breed continuously in stored dry cowpeas. Larvae typically develop inside the dried peas.
Nitidulidae
(Nitidulidae - photo captured by William Hung of Johnson Group)
Management
The use of insecticides is discouraged around food materials. Insecticides are supplementary to sanitation and proper storage.
The simplest and most effective measure is to locate the source of infestation and quickly get rid of it. Dispose of heavily infested foods in wrapped, heavy plastic bags or in sealed containers for garbage removal, or bury deep in the soil. If you detect an infestation early, disposal alone may solve the problem.
In case of large population of stored food beetles are found at food storage warehouse, we may need to use smoke generator to perform smoke fumigation.
Storage & Sanitation Practices
Purchase grains in small quantities for early use, and store in containers of insect-proof glass, heavy plastic, or metal with screw-type, airtight lids. For longer storage, refrigerate or deep freeze. Properly ventilate the storage area to discourage these moisture-loving stored product pests. Be sure to store only clean, dry grain with a moisture content of 12 percent or less to reduce weevil problems.
Inovative Devices
Starkey Australia® - Insect Killers
No chemicals, No noise, No smell, No pollution
Install suitable physical devices like Fly Trap (with pheromone) will be the most Eco friendly solutions for controling food store moths and beetles. Especially, those sensitive areas like kitchen or food processing areas and food storage areas.
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Starkeys® Australia Decore |
The sticky pad model “Decore” is ideal for restaurants, kitchens, food storage locations, clinics & domestic living areas. The unique Hitachi ultra violet “Black-light” tubes are one of the most effective insect attracting tubes on the market. |
