FAQs on detecting & evaluating strucural orother damage to wood members caused by powder post beetles & old house borers in buildings.

This article series provides powder post beetle & old house borer insect & rot damage photographs, inspection advice, and lists additional articles that discuss the inspection, detection, prevention, and repair of structural damage from insects (termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, powder post beetles, and other wood destroying insects), indoor mold, rot and building leaks or water entry.

Powder Post Beetles - Old House Borer Damage Q&A

These questions & answers about how to recognize or identify old house borer or powder post beetle damage to wood beams, posts, subfloors and other wood members were posted originalliy at POWDER POST BEETLES - be sure to see the ID photos and advice given there.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2020-03-24 - by (mod) - powder post beetles infesting flooring, windows, trim, walls - investigate further

There is certainly an infestation. PP beetles are hard to treat - I'm working on moving our conversation to the bottom of the article above and will comment further.

Before planning a treatment of powder post beetles we need to know the location and extent of both infestation and damage. Else the risk is having to do the job repeatedly at extra cost.

If this really is new construction as you first suggested then infested wood may have been brought to the job.

Meanwhile from my earlier remark,

You should have an inspection by certified Pest Control person to determine the location of those insects to be sure that they're not in the subfloor and framing because their location and extent of damage can change the remedy this likely to be needed.

On 2020-03-24 by Megan

@megan,
these powdery pictures are under the window sill trim. it just came loose and this is what i saw under it.

the other two were of the floors different areas

multiple windows have powder around them

On 2020-03-24 - by (mod) -

That's really looks like powder-post Beetle and powder-post Beetle damage.

If that's in newly installed flooring than the flooring just likely to have been infested when it was brought into the home. I think you should have an inspection by certified Pest Control person to determine the location of those insects to be sure that they're not in the subfloor and framing because their location will change the remedy this likely to be needed.

It looks as if there is an extensive insect infestation in multiple areas of the home.

What are the home's age, country, city, history of renovations and repairs and prior wood destroying insect treatment?

On 2020-03-24 by megan

On 2020-03-24 by megan - more Powder Post Beetle photographs

I did not realize my video and photos did not all load last night

On 2020-03-24 by megan -photos of powder post beetle holes, sawdust, insects, damage

Above: the diameter of these old house borer or powder post beetle damage openings is about 2 mm.

Above: sawdust and insect damage at a window sill.

Below: an adult powder post beetle crawling along the window sill.

On 2020-03-23 - by (mod) - I’m assuming this is powder post beetle?

Megan you don't give the size of that hole - perhaps take a another sharp photo that includes a small ruler or measuring tape.

Also in a second comment pots a photo of the insects that you see.

Then I can comment further.

Photo: close-up of a powder-post beetle exit hole.

On 2020-03-23 by megan

I’m assuming this is powder post beetle? I have seen them alive and dead and the powder. how extensive can damage be ? This is brand new construction. We have only resided in our house a few months.

I had the floor guy come look they treated a piece of flooring with the round holes . i was told they don’t leave the board they are in and will die off as can not lay new eggs on the flooring??

i’m also confused if they originated in the flooring or trim around windows?

On 2019-08-18 - by (mod) - powder post beetles can survive freezing weather.

Steve

Thanks for a great question

Yes in my opinion powder post beetles can survive freezing weather. They're a bunch of devils that are hard to get rid-of. Even surface sprays are often only temporarily effective.

Here's some interesting supporting research on

Effect of temperature on Powder Post Beetles

• Garcia, C. M., and Jeffrey J. Morrell. "Development of the powderpost beetle (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) at constant temperatures." Environmental entomology 38, no. 2 (2009): 478-483.
• Strang, Thomas JK. "A review of published temperatures for the control of pest insects in museums." In Collection Forum, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 41-67. 1992.
• Abdelghany, A. Y., S. S. Awadalla, N. F. Abdel-Baky, H. A. El-Syrafi, and Paul G. Fields. "Effect of high and low temperatures on the drugstore beetle (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)." Journal of economic entomology 103, no. 5 (2010): 1909-1914.
  

On 2019-08-18 by Steve

Can powder post beetles survive in joists of a house that's unheated during winter on Cape Cod? I'm hoping freeziing temperatures will kill them off.

On 2019-09-04 - by (mod) - possible house eating fungus

Alton I can't see much but that yellow powder could be insect damage OR Meruliporia - see MERULIPORIA HOUSE EATING FUNGUS

that can produce copious yellow "dust" (actually fungal spores) - that'd be consistent with the black moldy-looking material that I suspect is OSB sheathing or sub-flooring.

 

On 2019-09-04 by Alton Henderson

no comment just a photo of stuff

On 2019-07-24 - by (mod) -

Interesting photo, Anon. Looks like insect damage and rot.

On 2019-07-24 by Anonymous

On 2018-12-09 - by (mod) -

I agree that your photo looks alike powder-post Beetle damage. Those wood borers indeed make very tiny holes.

On 2018-12-09 by dcarlson

Can you identify the insects that are creating this damage in a house floor. It was under the a couch where it was not seen. Power seems similar to what you call power post beeltes...but I would say the holes are fairly small i diameter...say 1/16 of an inch
Thanks

On 2018-12-09 by (mod) - classic evidence of old house borers or powder post beetle damage

agree that your photo [shown just above] looks alike powder-post Beetle damage. Or old house borers.

These wood boring insects attack wood structural members like beams and joists but also can indeed get right into a subfloor or even finished wood flooring.

Watch out: where you see wood destroying insect damage in wood flooring you need to inspect more thoroughly for damage to the supporting wood structure as well.

Those wood borers indeed make very tiny holes.

The light colored dust is characteristic of what we see spilling out of these holes if the insects are or have been active recently.

On 2018-12-09 by dcarlson

Can you identify the insects that are creating this damage in a house floor. [Photo above]

It was under the a couch where it was not seen. Power seems similar to what you call power post beeltes...but I would say the holes are fairly small i diameter...say 1/16 of an inch
Thanks

On 2018-02-20 1 by (mod) - we discovered extensive damage from termites that were "no longer active" - REALLY?

Melissa

You certainly have my sympathy for suffering such extensive insect damage.

Considering the extent of damage and that there are two types of insect damage, and that at least the termite damage and probably the powder-post beetle damage were present at the time that you bought your house, it's not likely that the furniture that you purchased is the principal source of infestation in your home

Nor would it explain a similar infestation in your parents home nearby.

There are some neighborhoods in which a combination of climate soil conditions and other factors make it quite common for there to be particularly aggressive termites.

In addition building conditions that invite termites also invite powder-post beetles.

Thorough inspection of both homes to determine the extent of structural damage and what repairs are needed.

Very often in the course of doing a repair so much infested wood has to be removed that that becomes an effective step among several and treating and preventing further damage.

You'll also want to look at the sources of leaks and water and high moisture.

Until those problems are solved simply treating with pesticides may not be effective.

On 2018-02-20 by Melissa Barr Starns

When we purchased our house we discovered extensive damage from termites that were no longer active. Unsure of any previous treatment We chose to treat anyway for around $5200.00. Ouch. We now have powder post beetles and have had our home tented twice in a year.

Well, they’re still active. Our furniture is riddled with holes and at this point we need to burn it all and start over. I am devastated. We believe they began in a pedestal we purchased on an EBay auction for the reality show Survivor.

We actually have three of them and they are infested. In the three years we have lived here with these pedestals, the beetles are in every room and almost every piece of wood. This includes our super expensive bamboo floor and the brick walls, inside and outside our home.

My parents live next door and I just discovered that they too are infested. Why are we having such a hard time getting rid of them?

Also, do we have any legal recourse against the pest control company? Please help! Thanks so much!

On 2018-01-24 by (mod) - difficult to eradicate powder post beetles

Lee

It is difficult to eradicate powder post beetles, in part because the treatment used is topical (superficial) while the insects may be deeper into the wood. If you see fresh light colored sawdust around the beetle holes there is activity.

The decision on repair work needed depends on the extent of damage to supporting timbers, posts, beams.

An inspector would probe all of the damage areas to assess the depth of infestation. If beams are soft and penetrable more than a small percentage of the beam or post dimension then it probably should be replaced before re-roofing.

Cutting moisture level in basements and crawl areas combined with topical treatment are the usual steps to address these pests, combined with regular re-inspection for evidence of fresh activity.

On 2018-01-24 by Lee - reated 3 times with Timbor treatment, - still got bugs

I have an old out building on a property I purchased that when originally built was done so with a poor roof, and with untreated wood. Over the years a powder post beetle infestation had taken over.

I had it treated 3 times with Timbor treatment, the last time heavily. The first time was just now 18 months ago, which I have read is their life span. Since I didn't know much about them and how they can return at certain moisture levels;

I am just now getting the building re-roofed an guttered, to get water and moisture out completely.

My question is; is it worth re-roofing a building that has that strong of an infestation? Do I need to be patient? Will getting moisture out completely solve the issue?

On 2016-07-08 by (mod) -

If you clean the wood surfaces thoroughly you can watch for appearance of new fine wood-powder-dust around or below them. If nothing appears then there is no PPB activity and you're fine.

It's unlikely and would be odd for a hammer handle to contain insects that would attach the house.

Though I did once see termites come up through a kitchen floor and into the legs of a chair that had not moved for a long time.

On 2016-07-08 by Anon

Thank you--they are some old antique tools from my family that I was going to use as decoration on the outside of a new house covered porch. Would that be stupid to put on the house--it's got that wood composite siding. They are just so great looking, but I noticed a couple and the barrel are covered with the tiny holes and powdery residue.

On 2016-07-07 by (mod) -

There are topical spray treatments, of limited effectiveness if the pp beetles are deep into the wood;

On 2016-07-07 by Anon

What do you do to get rid of powder post beetles on old tool handles and a barrel !

On 2015-12-21 by (mod) - you cannot gauge the extent of the damage from the number of holes a piece of lumber

Anon:

I agree with the anonymous comment;

A professional inspector does not tell a buyer to buy or not- as people's circumstances and needs vary enormously; the inspector should describe what's present, what significant costs are likely to be encountered, and what dangerous conditions are present.

It can be difficult to eradicate powder post beetles; often an owner or tech will clean up the fine frass or sawdust and perhaps even paint the areas of damage. If there is new powder post beetle activity you'll see new fresh sawdust. Thats one way to address the "activity" question.

The degree of structural damage question - for what you can see - is assessed by probing.

PRobing will find varying results as insects do not attack wood uniformly; find the most severe damage in individual joists or beams by probing.

On 2015-12-20 by Anonymous

It seems that you cannot gauge the extent of the damage from the number of holes a piece of lumber has. I've done the probe test on several joists that externally look that same as far as the number of holes --

all joists covered with holes from end to end (perhaps 1-2 holes per square inch). On some joists, I have to press hard and twist my screwdriver to get into the wood just a little. On others, with media pressure, I can get in over an inch.

How can a two joists have the same quantity of exit holes but have very different levels of internal damage ?

On 2015-12-20 by Anonymous - insect damage to a fixer upper 1965 home - missed by inspector

I recently purchased a fixer upper, 1965 brick ranch on unfinished basement, bought 'as is'.

I bought this as a fix and flip -- my first one, so I'm very inexperienced. The subfloor, floor joists and floor support beams have extensive powder post beetle damage. All above grade wood looks good.

I has payed an inspector prior to purchasing to walk through and show me any major gotchas with this house.

We walked the basement and he did not notice or point out the powder post beetle damage. I discovered this on my own, after the purchase. Now familiar with the subject, the damage, is obvious.

The neighbor confirmed that several years ago, the previous owner had the house bubbled and fumigated to kill the beetles. I do not suspect an ongoing infestation as I do not see any visible fras.

However, the ENTIRE subfloor, all joists, and all support beams, as seen from the basement, are covered with the telltale tiny holes. I tried the probe test using a flat head screwdriver on several areas. Many areas, I could not penetrate, even though there are holes, but there are a several spots where I could penetrate deeply and found fras spilling out as I probed.

The previous owners had attempted some work to reinforce damaged areas. Several joists were doubled up. The plywood subfloor in the kitchen and dining area, had new plywood subfloor nailed on top of it with felt sandwiched between.

There are several areas that still concern me. I found that along the back exterior stud wall, the subfloor has severe damage along the edge extending under the bottom wall plate. I can probe pretty easily under the wall plate.

Also, one of the main support beams (double 2x10s supported by metal columns), that runs from left to right side of house, down the middle, supporting the joists, has deep probe penetration with fras, in several spots. My goal is to make the house safe for a future buyer without going broke.

I do not know how much repair is needed -- a balance between making it structurally sound and sellable without blowing my budget. I'm guessing right now I will call the structural engineer I used for another issue with this house to come back out and make recommendations.

My pessimistic side is telling me nobody will want to buy this house once they find out about the beetle damage. In you guys' experience, how much can this type of damage affect the sell of a house ?

Will a good inspector tell the buyer to run from this house, or is this type of damage common enough and repairable enough to not be a deal breaker -- assuming the rest of the house is well done ? Thank you.

On 2015-12-04 by (mod) - inspect and probe for extent of structural damage, e-text alone is not enough

Aut

By a simple e-text I can't quite make an assessment of the extent of structural damage, if any, from insects. As Mark Cramer, a home inspection educator says ... "it depends"

Often powder post beetle damage is superficial. Sometimes it's not and entire structural replacement of beams even sills and rim joists is needed. That cost ranges from trivial to tens of thousands of dollars depending on the extent of damage and where it is located.

You should not buy a home without an expert home inspection and pest damage inspection. The former should help you assess the risk of costly damage to the structure and the latter will help determine if the infestation is active. More specific advice on exactly these questions is in the article above.

On 2015-12-04 by Autumn

I'm looking at purchasing a home that the seller disclosed an old powder post battle infestation. They said it was taken care of, but I'm not sure by whom.

I also do not know where the damage is. I'm assuming the crawl space. How costly can this damage be to repair? Is it worth hiring an inspector & moving forward with a purchase? Should it be a deal breaker?

Question:

(May 21, 2011) From Little ol me said:

they love the top plate as well as the bottom plate of a wall. They took out well over 60 feet of each before I found them. I removed all sheetrock in the house, replaced what wood was necessary and treated the wood with Shell Guard RTU made by perma chenk. It was a huge job, and it seemed to last forever. Hope it works.

Reply:

Thanks for your comment about where powder post beetle damage is most likely to be found in homes - it will help other readers.
InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

We are dedicated to making our information as accurate, complete, useful, and unbiased as possible: we very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles.

Question:

(Nov 3, 2012) mary said:

I purchased a house and knew about termites and there were none, but the main support beam is riddled with those little holes and the beam is soft. How do I go about relacing the beam without taking my house apart. That section of my house ( which is reasonably small ) is sinking. The house will actually shake if you come down the stairs too quick. Any suggestions ?

Reply:

Mary,
Typically the contractor adds temporary support under sound sections of the structure, then removes and replaces the bad beam. If a bad center girder supports a load bearing partition above, extra support is likely to be needed, including on the floor above.

Rather than risk a dangerous floor collapse you should ask advice from an expert, probably a structural engineer.

Question:

(Feb 8, 2014) Can powder lost beetles be treated in the winter with a water based liquid agent used for killing them. said:

Can powder post beetles be treated in the winter(temp's in the teens) with a water based agent used for treating them

Reply:

Anon:
I don't know for sure about your situation, but here are some pointers: the agent, hopefully one formulated specifically for these insects, can probably be applied any time, but unless the pesticide has a residual effect that lasts until warm weather it may be ineffective if applied when the insects are inactive.

Question:

(Mar 14, 2014) Pat said:

I purchase a house and found out that it has powder post beetle. I had two soft spots one in the kitchen and bathroom. Both floors have been replaced and the girdle.I would like to know whether or not the floor or house will collapse after having this replacement and having the house treated for powder puff beetle.

Reply:

Pat you are asking a reasonable question but not one that any building professional with an ounce of sense would attempt to answer when she or he has not a shred of information about the condition of the building. You may need an onsite expert inspection to address the question of whether or not the scope of repair was adequate as well as its execution.

Question: suspect powder post beetle

(July 19, 2014) Anonymous said:
I am renovating my bathroom; am down to studs and sub-floor. There is one stud at the right rear corner of the tub I suspect is powderpost beetle damaged. Powdery, pieces flake off, sounds soft. There are no other studs that appear to be damaged -

they all sound solid. Is it possible this is old damage? Looking from the basement there appears to be no signs. I was going to place a new stud next to this one to be used for tub and wall install. What to do, need to move on quickly. Thanks, Rob in Timonim, MD

Reply:

Yes it may be old damage Tim, but keep in mind that powder post beetles can be hard to exterminate and that their activity can be dormant for some time.

Moisture and temperature variations as well as time of year can cause a still-active infestation to appear dormant. In my experience key in deciding if the fellows are active in the wood is the presence of fresh light-coloured very fine sawdust around their exit holes in the wood.

It's time to do some judicious probing to decide if you want to replace the stud. If it were my project I'd replace the stud now while it's easy, and I'd look into causes and prevention.

...

Continue reading at POWDER POST BEETLES - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• COMPARE TERMITE DAMAGE to POWDER POST BEETLE
• INSECT INFESTATION / DAMAGE - home
• INSECT DAMAGE PREVENTION
• MERULIPORIA FUNGUS DAMAGE
• POWDER POST BEETLES - topic home
• STRUCTURAL DAMAGE PROBING
• TERMITE DAMAGE PROBING
• WOOD STRUCTURE ASSESSMENT - home

Suggested citation for this web page

POWDER POST BEETLE DAMAGE FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to INSECT DAMAGE

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca

Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---