Wood borers are not as common as termites, but they can be just as destructive when it comes to attacking wooden structures. Wood borers, although often thought of as being similar to small roaches, are actually a type of beetle. It is not the adult beetles that cause the damage to the wood; it’s their larval stage. These beetles lay their eggs in trees and fresh cut timber. The eggs then hatch inside the wood and the larvae stay and feed on the wood till they are old enough to emerge as adults. Some of these larvae can stay inside the wood for years on end so once they finally decide to leave, the timber may already have been used to construct a house. Hopefully you weren’t the buyer of said house. If you were, reach out to AusWide and we will help you out!
What you can do
You need to be on the lookout for signs of woodborers at all times, especially if the house you are living in was constructed in the past 3-5 years. The two most common signs of wood boring beetles include:
- Holes and tunnels in wood around the house, especially where planks of timber have been used
- Presence of wood powder which resemble sawdust; fresh powder may indicate signs of current activity
If you notice any of these signs, reach out to us immediately. Signs of wood borer activity almost always means that they have already done a significant amount of damage and things will only get worse from that point onward. This is because they only emerge from the wood after eating through it. Since the risk of discovery only after significant damage has been done is relatively high and the odds of them causing even more damage are fairly high as well, ee do not recommend dealing with these pests on your own. If they are not eliminated completely and in a timely fashion, they can cost you a lot of time, money and anguish.