Wood borer beetles cause millions of rands in damage to homes every year. What most home owners don’t know, however, is that a substantial amount of this damage is actually preventable.
The majority of houses contain some sort of wooden structure; doorframes, skirting boards and roof trusses are all potential breeding grounds for these destructive pests. In addition, wooden furniture is also potential food for these ravenous beetles.
It’s time to call in professional fumigation services when you notice these tell-tale signs:
Luckily, wood borer beetles leave clues as to their whereabouts. The problem is, few people know what signs to look out for. Examine all wooden structures and furniture in your home. If you notice tiny flight holes (these will be between 1 – 2 mm), and excrement in the form of a fine powder (also known as frass) the chances that you’re sharing your house with wood-boring beetles are high.
If you’ve established that your home is inadvertently playing host to these destructive pests, you’ll need to use fumigation services as soon as possible.
If you do have an infestation, it’s imperative that you use a company that’s registered and qualified in the correct fumigation service procedures. Not all pest control companies have the adequate know-how or skills when it comes to fumigating a home.
In order to avoid jeopardising the wellbeing of your family, make absolutely sure that your fumigation service is done by a reputable company. Do not attempt to do this procedure yourself – it’ll not only be ineffective, but hazardous to your health too.
A professional fumigation service for the eradication of wood borer beetles is conducted over 48 hours.
There are two procedures that apply to a wood-boring beetle infestation, and are dependent on the extent of the infestation. If your fumigation services provider ascertains that the problem is localised – for example, in a piece of furniture – infested items will be removed, and treated off-site. Once the beetles have been exterminated, the item will be returned.
On the other hand, if your pest control company finds that the infestation is widespread, your house will need to be tented. Gas is then injected into the house and left to permeate the environment. This is necessary in order to ensure that all infested wood is thoroughly penetrated in order to kill any larvae, eggs or pupae.
It’s crucial that you and your family follow the correct safety procedures before and after the process. Families, pets and other living things such as house plants will need to be removed. Professional fumigation services will explain these in detail to you prior to the commencement of
fumigation services.
The damage incurred by wood-boring beetles depends on several factors.
Wood-borer beetle infestations occur throughout South Africa, but are particularly prominent along our coastal regions due to the climate that’s conducive to breeding.
Houses that are situated inland become infested due to the use of wood or furniture that’s imported from overseas or bought from a timber farm along the coast, which means all homes with wooden components are at risk. Adults lay their eggs lay their eggs in cracks and crevices of wood, which hatch out larvae. It is the larvae which causes damage by eating the wood on the inside for a period of one to three years (depending on the nutritional value of wood, weather conditions and the species of beetle). The larvae them, pupates, with the adult beetle eventually making flight holes to escape.
It’s recommended that all homeowners have their houses inspected annually in order to nip infestations in the bud.
The good news is that fumigation services – while effective – are avoidable. As they say, prevention is better than cure. In order to avoid extensive damage that’s costly to repair, we suggest that you have your house inspected by a professional pest control company once a year.
The Specialists use sophisticated procedures that enable us to detect the presence of wood-boring beetles before they have a chance to incur any serious damage.
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Image Credit:
Point Vaper 
