How Much Damage Can Borers Cause?

‘Borers’ is the common term for the larval form of various beetle families. The grubs feed on the timer and, depending on the type of beetle, can spend years in this stage resulting in serious damage. Unfortunately, this damage is often only noticed when the borers mature and leave holes behind after they have exited the timber.

Borers like the Auger beetle, Longicorn, Lyctus Borer (Powder Post Beetle) and Pinhole Borers are not considered destructive as the extent of their damage is limited to leaving unattractive flight holes in your wood.

So Which Borers Are Considered Destructive & How Do You Identify Them?

These would be the Anobium Borer and Queensland Pine Borer. They prefer pine varieties over other types of wood, particularly Baltic Pine and are often seen in weatherboards and floorboards. How you can identify the Anobium Borer and Queensland Pine Borer:

• As they move through the wood, they leave small, two millimetre pinholes and a significant amount of loose dust – the same consistency as table salt.
• Spongy floorboards on one side of a large room

If you are a collector if antique or second hand furniture, you should always keep in mind that this type of furniture is susceptible to borers. So always perform a thorough check before introducing it into your home.

How To Treat Borer-Affected Wood

In order to treat borer-affected wood, you will need to remove the timber and replace it with non-infected wood. As borers love damp timber, you will also need to clean out vents, eliminate debris and drain damp soil on a regular basis, removing the moist, humid environment preferred by borers. Fumigation and chemical treatments should be a last resort and only implemented when all other treatment options have been exhausted.

For more information on borers, help identifying borers in your home or free advice on how to treat borers effectively, get in touch with the team at Sydney’s Best Pest Control today.