Wood Boring Insects & Insecticides

While similar to ants, termites have larger heads and wider waists.

There are a wide variety of insects that can damage your home and the trees in your yard. Familiarizing yourself with the different types of wood boring insects will help you identify problems in their early stages, when the solutions are still easy. Knowing what how to stop these infestations can save you money and the need for repair work.

Termites

Termites are the most well-known wood boring insect. They do not require water, and so can live their entire lives inside wooden furniture and walls. They carve tunnels in the wood until the wood becomes weak and crumbles. Because they rarely come out of the wood, they are usually seen only when they swarm. By that time they may have already done considerable damage. However, they do push their fecal pellets out of their nests. If you find hard six-sided pellets about the size of salt grains, suspect a termite problem.

Beetles

After termites, wood boring beetles are the most dangerous to your home. Lyctid beetles are slender, less than ¼ inch long and red-brown to black in color. They infest hardwoods. Deathwatch beetles look much the same, but also infest softwoods. Old house borers are up to 1 inch long, brown-black in color, with grey hairs on their heads. Their larvae tunnel through softwoods and stay close to the surface. Some species of beetle attack trees. The Asian longhorn, which has long antennae and a black body with white spots, burrows into hardwood trees during its larval stage.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants grow up to ½ inch long. Swarmers have wings. While they do not eat wood, they do nest in it and can do considerable damage in the process. They love water, and so will often be found in kitchens, bathrooms and near water leaks. If you suspect a carpenter ant infestation, tap on the area with the handle of a screwdriver. The ants should make an audible sound in response.

Other Wood Borers

Some species of moths lay their eggs in cracks in trees. Their larvae bore through the trees' wood while developing. Scales are small insects that infest fruit trees. They cover themselves with waxy shells that make them look like seedpods or growth.

Insecticides

Acelepryn is a new type of insecticide that is effective against most wood boring insects. It is derived from natural sources. Acelepryn has a low toxicity to vertebrate animals such as people and pets. It requires nothing more than long sleeves, shoes and pant legs for protective equipment when applying it. Permethrin is the most readily available insecticide for wood boring insects, and seems particularly effective on wood boring moths. Professional exterminators also have access to insecticides such as chlorpyrifos that are not available to homeowners. Aerosol insecticides such as deltamethrin are used on carpenter ants. Termites usually require fumigation.

References

• Colorado State University: Management of Wood Boring Insects; Whitney Cranshaw
• Ask the Exterminator: Latest Wood Boring Insects Articles; Rick Steinau
• University of Illinois: Wood-Boring Insects; Raymond A. Cloyd; May 22, 2002
• University of Illinois: Controlling Wood-Boring Beetles in Houses; Eric P. Benson; January 1994

Resources

• University of Michigan: Insects; Phil Myers