Wood borer species

Wood damaging pests can attack expensive antiques and even a building’s structural components. Knowing the type of wood boring beetles involved can help determine the most effective control methods. 

Knowing the species of wood borer can help us develop the most effective treatment options. Learn how to get rid of wood borers.

If you have found signs of wood-boring insects, you can contact a professional pest control company for on-site inspections, providing wood borers pest control and treatment services.

Longhorn Beetle (Kumbang Sesungut Panjang)

(Cerambycidae)

Appearance

• Adult beetle is 10–25 mm in length. 
• Black/brown colour with greyish hairs and 2 black spots on thorax which resemble eyes. 
• Larva is greyish white in colour and can grow up to 35 mm when fully developed.

Habits

• Female lays eggs in cracks and crevices of wood. 
• Larva tunnels between sapwood and bark; subsequently moves deeper into the wood as it matures. 
• Larva creates a hole before it pupates and leaves wood fibres out of the hole.
• Often found infesting dying trees or abandoned logs.

Powder Post Beetle

(Lyctus brunneus)

Appearance

• Adult beetle is flattened and elongated with 1–7 mm in length. 
• Reddish to dark brown in colour. 
• Larva is white in colour, slightly curved and can measure up to 5mm when fully developed. 
• Newly hatched larva is straight, extremely slender and less than 1 mm long.

Life Cycle

• Under favourable condition, it takes 9–12 months to fully develop. 
• Adult lives 1–3 months.

Habits

• Usually attacks wood that is dry, untreated with chemicals and rich in starch, namely Rubberwood, Ramin, Jelutong, Penarahan, Merbau and Kempas.

Pinhole Borer (Kumbang Liang Jarum)

Appearance

• Adult beetle is very small, 1–2 mm in length. 
• Elongate, cylindrical shaped and predominantly chestnut-brown or dark brown in colour. 
• Mature larva is creamy white in colour, cylindrical shaped with yellowish head.

Habits

• Digs into wood to construct galleries where they produce fungi for its larva to feed on. 
• Often found infesting wood such as logs and timbers when it is still 'green' before it has been dried.

Jewel Beetle (Kumbang Permata)

Appearance

• Adult beetle is 2–20 mm in length. 
• Bright metallic colours with flattened bodies and an elliptical outline.

Life Cycle

• Larva usually takes 1–2 years to mature. 
• Adult beetle has short life span, usually living 3–5 months.

Habits

• Larva burrows into the heartwood of living or freshly felled trees. 
• Larva creates a hole before it pupates and leaves wood fibres out the hole. 
• Often found infesting abandoned trees and logs.

Shothole Borer (Kumbang Liang Bubuk)

Appearance

• Adult beetle length can goes up to 3 mm and cigarette-shaped. 
• Dark brown to black in colour with reddish brown legs and antenna. 
• Larva is white in colour, curve shaped and can grow up to 3 mm long.

Life Cycle

• Female lays up to 50 eggs. 
• Larva takes 6–8 weeks to fully develop.

Habits

• Often attack logs and timbers.