Powderpost Beetles guide

Wood-boring beetles can cause significant damage to wooden structures in and around your home or building. These pests lay their eggs in cracks and crevices of wood, and as the larvae—commonly known as woodworms—mature, they burrow out of the wood over the course of months or even years. This burrowing results in visible holes and tunnels that can compromise furniture, hardwood floors, outdoor decks, support beams, and other wooden structures.

Though wood-boring beetles, such as powderpost beetles, old house borers, and common furniture beetles, play a vital role in forests by breaking down weak and dying trees, they become problematic when they infest homes and buildings.

If you've noticed signs of wood-boring beetles in your property, follow this guide for effective DIY treatment. Unsure if you have wood-boring beetles? Refer to our Wood-Boring Beetle Identification Guide for confirmation.

Determine if the Infestation is Active

The first step before choosing a treatment is to determine if there is an active infestation in your wood.

Wood powder is a sign of wood-boring beetles.

• If you see white, non-clumpy powder on or near wood, the infestation is most likely active. Woodworms may still be in the wood.
• Yellow clumpy powder is a sign of an old infestation, as are emergence holes in the wood. By the time you see emergence holes, the woodworms have probably already matured into adult beetles and left the wood.

If the woodworms and beetles have left the wood, you can either seal the wood with a sealant or replace the wood (Step 2).

If you have an active infestation, you will need to treat the wood with a borate-based product (Step 3) to kill the larvae and remove the infestation.

If wood has been previously infested by woodworms or wood-boring beetles, its structural integrity may be weakened due to the holes and tunnels created by the larvae. Whenever feasible, consider replacing the damaged wood. In cases where only one or two pieces of wood are affected, replacement may be a more cost-effective solution compared to treating the infested material.

Choose a borate-based product for treating wood, such as Bora-Care. Borates, which are composed of oxygen and boron, are effective for both treating existing infestations and preventing future pest activity in wood. Check the product label to ensure it contains Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate (borate) for optimal results.

Borate-based products like Bora-Care are thick and need to be diluted with warm water and thoroughly mixed in a bucket before being transferred to a sprayer.

Refer to the product label for the correct water-to-product ratio:

• Mix 1 part water to 1 part Bora-Care for treating non-flooring wood infested with wood-boring beetles.
• Use a 2:1 water-to-Bora-Care ratio for hardwood floors.
• For preventative applications, dilute 5 parts water to 1 part Bora-Care.

Always follow the specific instructions provided on the product label for the best results.

Using a sprayer, paintbrush, or roller, evenly apply the product to the unfinished wood. Ensure the entire surface of the wood is coated, or cover as much of the wood as you can access.

For wood that will be concealed, such as beams behind drywall, consider adding a spray indicator dye like Turf Mark Blue to your borate mixture. This will help you see where the product has been applied.

Bora-Care typically dries clear when applied correctly. However, over-application can result in a white residue, which can be removed with a scrubbing pad if needed.

For optimal results, Bora-Care penetrates deeply into the wood, so make sure to apply it to all exposed surfaces on all four sides of the wood to ensure thorough protection.

If you spot powderpost beetles, borer beetles, common furniture beetles, or any other wood-boring beetles or larvae (woodworms) inside your home, it is necessary to treat the area with an insecticide specifically labeled for wood-boring beetles.

Keep in mind that the treatment described in Step 4 is designed to eliminate beetles within the home but will not address those residing inside the wood. For treating infested wood directly, refer to the instructions in Step 3.

Select an insecticide specifically labeled for wood-boring beetles or wood-infesting pests, such as Tempo SC Ultra or Bifen IT.

Refer to the product label for proper mixing instructions. Combine the recommended amount of insecticide with water in a hand pump sprayer. Secure the lid and shake the sprayer well to ensure the insecticide and water are fully mixed.

Focus your insecticide application on the cracks and crevices in rooms where wood-boring beetles or woodworms have been identified. Be sure to treat these key areas:

• Around door and window frames
• Along the edges where baseboards meet the wall
• Where flooring connects to walls or baseboards
• In the corners of rooms
• Underneath furniture and appliances
• Around utility entry points such as pipes and cables

Avoid broadcasting the spray across the room. These products are specifically designed for targeted application in cracks and crevices. Reapply every 7–10 days as needed for effective control.