|
|
I am always amazed at the variety of species of insects we can find in a single small space in the woods. Life teems around us and if you listen carefully on a warm summer night, you can literally hear the bugs digesting the old wood and making it into soil. Bark beetles, Carpenter Ants, Wood Boers, myriads of microorganisms and animals the size of a period on this page, working in harmony to get the job done.
Now in the middle of all of this we build a log cabin and expect Mother Nature to give us a free pass? Not a chance! We are playing under the same rules as the rest of the forest, and she will “come a callin.”
One of the most interesting and economically important wood destroying insects we find are the group of small beetles that bore into wood and the king of that group is a little fellow called the Powder Post Beetle. Measuring a diminutive 1/8 inch long, this beetle, like a termite, digests components of the wood and is very good at its job.
How do I know I have a problem?
The tell-tale signature of a Powder Post Beetle infestation is the appearance of small-bore holes in wood that are about 1/16 inch in size, looking a lot like someone took a shot at your cabin with a shotgun and #8 birdshot. Coming out of these holes (The active ones) will be very fine, light-colored fras or sawdust that appears and feels like finely ground flour. It will often appear as a white or slightly yellowish streak on the wood where the light dust adheres to the wood exterior.
Why are they a problem?
Now, what you see on the outside is only a hint of what is going on inside that log. The beetle larvae have been busy migrating through the log’s core creating a maze of tunnels and beginning the job of breaking down your cabin into soil. That is certainly not your idea of a good mission statement, but facts are facts, and this little guy has been very busy.
It will take a long time to structurally degrade a cabin by themselves, but their presence opens the door for Carpenters Ants and wood rot.
The life cycle of the powder post beetle is between two to five years to produce a fully developed adult insect from an egg and you only see them if you are lucky. They emerge in early summer after developing inside that log, only to breed, lay eggs and then die. The female beetle lays her eggs in the woods’ pores or old exit holes with her ovipositor. Unfinished or exposed wood is all they need. A crack or crevice or seam will give them an opportunity as well.
Exterior maintenance, paint, sealant, and caulking cracks makes a huge difference and is our first and best defense.
OK, now for the good news. There are environmentally sound and economical pest applications that can manage these little munchers. Should they have already arrived and are visible or you just want to prevent them from getting a foothold, your local Pest Control Company can provide a service to keep them at bay and reduce them significantly. Call your Pest Professional for a consultation, an application can also be effective for control of Wasps and web building spider at the same time.
Bill Dalin, North Shore Superior Pest Management
Pest Solutions for a Sensitive Environment
Grand Marais
Controlling: Carpenter Ants, Mice, Cluster Flies, Spiders, Powder Post Beetles, Deer Ticks and Mosquitos.
Leave a Reply