Termite repair serving Balboa Island, Termite companies serving Huntington Beach, Termite companies servicing Newport Beach

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We are located in Huntington
Beach with service to all of
Orange County.

See photos of our termite
damage repairs (before/after)
on our (Repair Photos) page.

See our (Treatment Types)
page for information on our
various treatment methods.

To treat, or not-

Treatment for wood
borers will depend
upon several factors
and they are:
1). Is treatment even
necessary in the first
place
2). If treatment is
necessary, then what
type of treatment
3). Type of wood-borer

Treatment types are:
1). Localized injection of
a pesticide into the
galleries of wood
2). Fumigation in a vault
or sealed chamber
3). Wood removal and
replacement.

Wood-borers that
require treatment:

1). True powder-post
     beetle
2). False powder-posts
3). Anobiids

Other than the three
beetles listed above,
treatment, more often
than not, will not be
necessary. Most of the
damage done to homes
is by one of the three
listed here.

Other wood-borers
that will not (usually)
require treatment are;
Metallic, flat-headed,
round-headed,
long-horned beetles in
the families buprestidae
and Cerambycidae.
These beetles will
normally only attack
living trees and it is
common to encounter
these beetles emerging
from lumber in new
construction. The drying
process of new wood
does not favor new
infestation of these
listed and they will
emerge, drop-out and
die.

Re-infesting beetles-

Lyctid beetles (true powder-post beetles)
Anobiid beetles (furniture or deathwatch beetle)
Old house borer (mostly Mid-atlantic states)

Lyctids only attack hardwood (oak, hickory, ash, walnut or mahogany) because of its high starch content. The
beetle prefers dry wood (less than 10% moisture content). The reason for all the fine yellowish powder is that this
beetle cannot digest the wood but instead will utilize only the starch as the wood passes through its system and
leaves its system in a fine powdery mess, hence the name. This is a small reddish brown to black beetle that is
under 1/3 inch in length.

Anobiids will attack both hard and softwoods. This beetle prefers wood with more moisture (more than 14%
moisture content). Unlike lyctids, this beetle does digest cellulose. This beetle is also reddish brown to dark brown
and adults are around 1/3 of an inch in length. There are a number of species of anobiids, however, the
deathwatch beetle is the most commonly encountered beetle and is normally found in poorly ventilated
crawlspaces. If you encounter fine powder with tiny pellets sifting from floor or rim joists in a crawlspace, then this
beetle is likely the culprit.

Old house borers are typically found in the eastern united states. We have only stumbled upon these guys two
times so we are in no position to address these guys in detail.

False power-post beetles will attack mostly hardwoods but some species will attack softwoods. They rarely attack
or re-infest seasoned (dry) wood. These guys are also reddish-brown to black. The frass from this beetle is easy to
distinguish from frass of the others listed here because the frass is tightly packed and does not fall out easily.

Non re-infesting wood borers-

Bark beetles- attack new (or freshly fallen) trees at the bark/wood interface separating the bark and killing the
tree. Small beetle that eventually dies when the wood becomes seasoned.

Ambrosia beetles- another beetle that you need not be worried about. You can easily identify the evidence of this
little guy because the exit/entry holes will be stained blue (a fungus that the beetle fed upon). Evidence of this guy
can often be found in attics or crawlspaces. Attacks new softwood and hardwoods. Dies out in seasoned wood.

Bostrichid beetles (false power-post beetle)- this guy is placed in the non re-infesting category, however, this
beetle can (rarely) re-infest. Some species attack both hardwoods and softwoods but mainly hardwoods. These
guys are roughly 1/4 inch in length and are dark brown, or reddish-brown to black (depending upon the species).

Others include: round-headed borers, flat-headed borers, horntails (woodwasp). These beetles normally
attack living trees only. These beetles can often be found emerging from wood in new construction (vigas), and
firewood that is brought into the home just prior to burning. The drying process of the wood is not favorable to
these beetles, therefore, they emerge and die. Treatment is normally not necessary for non re-infesting wood
boring beetles beetles. Infested lumber must be kiln dried (oven) before it is used in construction.

Wood Borers

Perry's Termite Service & Repair
Huntington Beach

714-964-3491

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