WOOD DESTROYING ORGANISMS BEETLES AND FUNGI NAPLES FORT MYERS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

WOOD DESTROYING ORGANISMS 

OLD HOUSE BORER

                The name "Old House Borer" is really misleading as this insect is most commonly found in newer homes.  This beetle has a life cycle of three to twelve years depending upon environmental and nutritional conditions.  The Old house Borer is a beetle that during the larval stage, feeds upon seasoned softwood, such as pine.  The larval stage feeds upon the wood and can do extensive damage before it is seen.  The Adult emerges from the wood and can lay eggs to continue the life cycle.  The adult creates an exit hole that is oval and 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch in diameter.  If the infestation is very limited the old house borer can be controlled by replacing the infested wood.  In most cases, tent fumigation treatment of the structure is required to achieve control.

POWDER POST BEETLES

                Powder Post Beetles normally will infest hardwoods, such as ash elm, oak, pecan, and walnut, as the large open pores of these hardwoods are needed for egg-laying by the female.  In this area, they are most often found in bamboo or wicker furniture, although they have been seen in hardwood door frames.  The adult beetle is rarely seen, rather, the damage left by the adult emerging from the wood is often noticed.  The exit holes left by the adult are small, 1/32 of an inch to 1/8 of an inch in diameter.  Around the exit hole is a very fine talc like powder.  This is usually the first indicator of an infestation.  The adult can only re-infest the structure if there is unfinished hardwood., in which the female can lay it's eggs.  Control of the Powder Post Beetle, depends upon the source of infestation.  If the source is in furniture, or other removable items, the item ca be removed and treated.  In some instances, the entire structure must be fumigated.

WOOD DECAY FUNGI

            Some people term this a "dry" rot.  There is no such thing a "dry rot".  All wood must have moisture of over 20% in order for wood decay fungi to attack.  There are three types of fungi that we have in this area.  White Rot:  This gives the wood a white bleached appearance.  The wood eventually turns spongy and is stringy when broken.  Brown Rot:  This rot give the wood a brown appearance and the wood breaks into cubical shapes pieces when broken.  Water conducting fungi:  (Poria) This rot is not very common in this area, but when seen, looks like a white fan with dirty white to black roots that can conduct moisture back to the wood up to twenty five feet away.  The control of wood decay fungi is to find the source of moisture and correct it.  Then the decaying wood can be replaced.  The most common area for wood decay in a home is at the bottom of a wood door frame of an exterior door.  Once the paint starts to fail, water invades the wood, and as soon as the moisture content exceeds 20% the wood decay fungi begins to grow.

If you live in Naples, Fort Myers, or Southwest Florida call 239-455-4300 Collier Pest Control, Southwest Florida's Pest Authority, for a complete explanation on termites, wood destroying insects, wood decay fungi, or any of our services, or look us up on our web site at collierpestcontrol.com.  Remember Florida does not have to be shared with insects.

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