Old House Borer(s)Hylotrupes bajulus Old House Borer (Length: ½" or ¾") This is a member of the group known as “long-horned beetles”. Eggs are laid in crevices of the bark of cut logs. The whitish larva live 3-5 years or more, eating through the wood. During quiet times, their feeding may be heard as clicking and rasping sounds. Adults leave infested wood through oval holes about ¼" in diameter. PEST MAANGEMENT TECHNIQUES The following points should aid in discouraging old house borer infestations: | 1. | | Rough-cut lumber should be kiln-dried to kill all stages of the beetle. | | | | | | 2. | | Uninfested wood which is sanded and varnished will not normally be attacked by the adult beetles because they find crevices in the wood surface into which they would deposit their eggs. | | | | | | 3. | | Surface sprays containing borates will prevent newly hatched larvae from entering the wood. However, this technique is not effective on wood which has been varnished, waxed or otherwise sealed from attack by moisture. The borates will last indefinitely, provided the treated wood is kept dry to prevent water from leaching the material. | | | | | | 4. | | Fumigation of lumber members of structures is the only absolute method of eliminating old house borer infestations in structures. Fumigation is the use of volatile, poisonous gas which will readily penetrate wooden items and can only be contained within a gas-impervious tarp. Fumigations, however, are very expensive and do not provide lasting protection from re-infestation. Fumigations must be performed by certified, professional pest control individuals specifically licensed to do this type of procedure. The most commonly utilized fumigants contain either methyl bromide or sulfuryl fluoride. | Call 1-800-737-8189 for a free Inspection or: CONTACT US
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INSECTS AND RODENTS 