Things You'll Need:
- Inside: Gloss, semi-gloss or satin Polyurethane or comparable low odor clear sealer(personal preference). Step ladder, rag and paint brush.
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Step 1
You have a log cabin, you like the rustic look, clean and fresh. You notice pin holes appearing on the wood surface and a powdery sawdust trickling down the rough surface of the wood on to your Flying Canvasback Wall Mount. You have powder Post beetle and they are second in destruction to termites. They damage the wood from the inside out. They infested the tree when it was still standing or in the lumber yard.
Powder post Beetle have four stages of growth, egg, larva, pupa and adult. The adult beetle is 1/12 to 1/5 inch long and seldom seen. It is the larva that does the damage, they are after the starch content of the wood. The less starch in the wood, the more tunneling the larva does. After many months of tunneling and feeding on the starch the larva will migrate just below the surface of the wood and pupate. After a matter of days or weeks depending on temperature the adult will emerge from its pupa case and chew a tiny exit hole, leaving more powdery sawdust on your Flying Wood Duck Wall Mount. The male and female will mate, the male dies and the female penetrates the pores of the wood with its ovapositor, deposits eggs, larva emerge from the eggs and the process starts all over again. -
Step 2
Normally you would spray the surfaces of the infested area with a residual insecticide to the point of run-off and only in areas that were not living spaces. In homes that have wall coverings i.e. sheetrock, you will not get powder post beetle infestations unless its in the beams of the cellar or crawl area that are not covered or finished. Years back we would use insecticides such as Chlordane, Lindane and Dursban just to name a few but they have long been banned. In order to control or eliminate powder post beetle, you have to treat all the surfaces of the infested area.
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Step 3
Using insecticide in the living spaces (bedrooms, kitchen, living room) of log cabins and other rustic, country dwellings that have natural wood finishes is not advisable. You do not want to be exposed to pesticides daily and the application may alter the color of the wood. You want to keep that natural rustic, country home look. This can be done by applying a clear sealer i.e. polyurethane gloss, semi-gloss or satin finish. The satin finish does not shine as much as the gloss or semi-gloss and may give a more natural look. Its just like painting a room and its probably the closest your going to get to keeping that natural look. The surfaces of your raw wood should be free of dust, dirt and grease before applying sealer. Cover furniture, flooring, decor and anything you want to protect from drips and spills with drop cloth. Apply sealer to the ceilings first. Use a roller in large areas for a uniform application. On logs or raw wood of the walls apply sealer with a brush and start from the top and work down. If your going to use a quality brush, always clean thoroughly after use with paint thinner. There are inexpensive throw away brushes and sponge brushes at your local hardware store. Read the entire label on the sealer and ventilate while applying. Once the finish is applied the powder post beetle will continue to emerge for many months until they are all out. The female cannot penetrate the sealed pores of the wood with its ovapositor thus interrupting the next generation of beetles.
