Powderpost Beetles
The term powderpost beetle refers to several species of wood-destroying beetles that belong to three different families of beetles (Lyctidae, Bostrichidae and Anobiidae). They re-infest dry, seasoned wood year after year and the wood becomes completely riddled with holes and galleries packed with powdery frass. Powderpost beetles can infest any untreated or non-sealed wood article. Some species only attack hardwoods, while others feed only on softwoods, and some species will feed on both.
Southern lyctus beetle (Lyctus planicollis) are 1/8 to 1/4 inch long.
Fine “face powder” boring dust produced from tunneling ash log. Larvae tunnel inside the wood; adults emerge from round exit holes, each less than 1/16 inch in diameter.
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Identification and Control Information
- Fact Sheet: Powder Post Beetles (PDF)—Cornell University Insect Diagnostic Laboratory
- Entomological Notes: Powderpost Beetles (PDF)—Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension
- Fact Sheet: Powderpost Beetles (PDF)—University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
- Preventing and Controlling Powderpost Beetles In and Around the Home (PDF)—Pacific Northwest Extension
- Insects From Firewood (PDF)—Maine Department of Conservation, Maine Forest Service
[Photos, left to right: Jim Baker, North Carolina State University, Bugwood.org; Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org]