Beetles: Small Bugs, Big Trouble
In the fall of 2007, one of my clients emailed a pest control report to me asking for my advice. It indicated an active powder post beetle infestation. As I have personally had a bad experience with this destructive insect, I recommended she have the pest control operator do a chemical treatment to eliminate the problem. Given time, I explained, it could get much worse.
Today, I received an email from this client. The work has not been done and now, a year later, she forwarded a new report showing the infestation has significantly increased. The new bid is nearly double that of the original $3500. She has ordered fumigation and repair. In another year or two, the situation could have been disastrous.
Powder post beetles are not as common as termites; nonetheless, they can cause devastation to a property. They entered our home in furniture imported from Europe and bought at auction. We ended up having the entire house tented. It was an expensive, unpleasant experience.
The Univ of Florida has, online, a an excellent description with photos.
To learn about pest control reports and related problems in a home, see my previous articles, “Not Just Termites, Part 1” and “Part 2,” as well as “Anatomy of a Termite Report.”