OTHER WOOD DESTROYING PESTS
Other wood-inhabiting insects. There are several other species of insects which infest dying or freshly felled trees or unseasoned wood, but which do not reinfest seasoned wood. They may emerge from wood in a finished house, or evidence of their presence may be observed. On rare occasions, control measures may be justified to prevent disfigurement of wood, but control is not needed to prevent structural weakening.
Ambrosia beetles. These insects attack unseasoned sapwood and heartwood of softwood and hardwood logs, producing circular bore hole 1/50 to 1/8 inch in diameter. Bore holes do not contain frass, but are frequently stained blue, black or brown, These insects do not infest seasoned wood.
Bark beetles. These pests tunnel at the wood/bark interface and etch the surface of wood immediately below the bark. Beetles left under bark edges on lumber may survive for a year or more as the wood dries. Some brown, gritty frass may fall from circular bore holes in the bark, measuring 1/16 to 3/32 inch in diameter. These insects do not infest wood.
Round-headed borers. Several species are included in this group. They attack sapwood of softwoods and hardwoods during storage, but rarely attack seasoned wood. The old house borer is the major round-headed borer which can reinfest seasoned wood. When round headed borers emerge from wood, they make slightly oval to nearly round exit holes 1/8 to 3/8 inch in diameter. Frass varies from rather fine and meal-like in some species to very coarse fibers like pipe tobacco in others. |
