Wood borers could be difficult to deal with once they decide to infest your wooden furniture. It can be tough seeing the wooden structures or furniture passed from generation to generation meeting its end due to some pests. Wood borers are particularly attracted to wooden structures and furniture, as wood fits its ideal environment for laying their eggs and nourishing their larvae. In this article, we have compiled the top signs of wood borer infestation and also how to get rid of them easily through proven ways.
See also: How to get rid of lizards at home?
Top signs of Wood Borer Infestation
- Exit holes: If you find tiny holes in your wooden furniture, those could be the holes dug up by the wood borers to come out of their hiding places in your furniture called exit holes. These holes could be oval-shaped or could be round while also boasting sharp edges. At this point, the infestation could be fresh or still ongoing.
- Impaired furniture and structure: Wood borers could attack your wooden floorboards and if they do so, your floorboards could become very weak or even spongy. As for other wooden furniture, if the wood borers do infest your furniture, then the wood could start crumbling around the edges and corners due to structural damage.
- Tunnels: You could find tunnels inside the wooden item that the wood borers might have infested. It is usually hard to come across tunnels, but if you do, it is a hard-core proof of wood borer infestation. These insects build these tunnels to get deep inside the wooden items.
- Eggs and larva: If your furniture has cracks, take a proper look inside the cracks and if you spot eggs, you can strongly believe that your wooden item has been infested by wood borers. In addition to that, another big sign of wood borer infestation is finding a larva since the insects spend their whole larval stage inside the wood.
- Dead wood borers: Another major sign of a wood borer infestation is finding a dead borer somewhere around a wooden item. The wood borers could die as they have a very short life span and often die around the wood they infest in.
- Spotting wood dust or powder: When larvae grow into adult wood borers, they leave behind wood dust or powder. That is why spotting wood dust or powder could be a sign of wood borer infestation.
How to prevent Wood Borer Infestation?
- Using unattractive wood material: When you are in the process of selecting the wooden furniture that you want, make sure to buy furniture made of a wooden material that wood borers dislike. These kinds of woods have low starch or resin content. Through this, you prevent a wood borer infestation from the get-go.
- Keep wooden items away from an infested item: If a wooden item is already infested by wood borers, it would be wiser if you kept the item away from other wooden items at your place or else they will also have a great chance of getting infested as well.
- Proper use of insecticides: There are many ways you can prevent a wood borer infestation from the very start through the proper use of insecticides. For instance, you could see that during furniture construction or while buying furniture, make sure that the wood has natural insecticides.
- Correct disposal of firewood: Always put firewood far away from your home and at least do not store it against the outside walls. Only bring in firewood when you want to burn it to prevent a wood borer infestation.
- Checking furniture before buying: Always buy things with a lot of caution and check whether it is not damaged from the very beginning. It happens that some furniture has already been infested by wood borers while it is being sold. This is why you should be careful about cracks in furniture being sold, which could be a sign of wood borer infestation.
- Keeping well-defined edges: A very effective method of protecting your wooden furniture is keeping its edges sharp and well-defined. This helps as it makes it difficult for wood borers to lay eggs in your furniture.
Best ways to get rid of Wood Borer Infestation
Before you start getting rid of wood borer infestations, the first thing you need to do is keep yourself calm and then verify what type of wood borer infestation your property has.
Solutions for ongoing Wood Borer Infestations
Ongoing Wood Borer infestation is when the larvae inside the wood are still alive. In this case, you must treat the wood and kill the larvae inside. If your furniture is made up of unfinished wood you can directly apply your treat on the furniture. But if you have painted or sealed wood, then you will have to strip the furniture and then you can go on to treat it. Make sure while applying the treatment that not a single one of them is left alive, or the infestation will resurface.
Solutions for inactive Wood Borer Infestations
Now, when you have confirmed by yourself that the infestation is no longer ongoing and that there are no more eggs to be found, you are left with two options which are to either seal the wood or replace it. If you are willing to get rid of the piece of furniture, then you can replace it, as it could help prevent heavy damage in the future. Plus, this action is the best for your safety.
However, if you wish to keep the furniture, you can use a borate-based product to treat the furniture and to prevent any other pests from targeting the furniture in the future. Insecticides also have a key role in removing a wood borer infestation. They will help you to finish off adult beetles before they even get the chance to lay their eggs in your home.
There is a proper way to use the insecticide to ensure its efficiency. After preparing the insecticide, make sure to spray it into any cracks or crevices that you find on your furniture, door or window frame that has been infested. To be more precise, make sure to spray anywhere that you think the pests could be hiding in. In the future, you will also need to reapply the insecticide as needed.
FAQs
What is a wood borer?
Wood borer is an insect that likes to feed on wood.
What are the signs of wood borer damage?
If you spot small holes, sawdust-like frass and weakened furniture, it could be due to wood borer infestation.
Are all wood borers harmful?
Most wood borers cause a lot of harm to the integrity of wooden structures and furniture at our properties.
Can wood borers infest softwood as well?
Yes, wood borers like to eat hardwood and softwood, so both have an equal chance of a wood borer infestation.
What are the factors that attract wood borers to wood borers?
The moisture level, age of the wood as well and the type of wood attract wood borers.
Can you prevent wood borer infestations?
Yes, there are many preventative measures that you can take to prevent your wooden furniture from wood borer infestation.
Do wood borers only target furniture?
No, wood borers can also cause damage to your flooring, structural timber and other various items made of wood.
Do wood borers attack antique wooden items?
Yes, even antique wooden items are prone to a wood borer attack.
Can wood borer infestations spread between pieces of furniture?
Yes, if left unchecked, a wood borer infestation can easily spread between pieces of furniture.
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