Woodborer species

Wood damaging pests can attack expensive antiques and even a building’s structural components. Wood pests have managed to develop an astonishing variety of life forms, and can even live comfortably in totally dry wood.

Common house borer

(Anobium punctatum)

Much damage is caused in the sapwood content of timber. Its natural habitat is the broken branches of trees and firewood and may contribute to the cause of infestations.

Appearance

Adult beetle is 3 – 4mm in length.

Life cycle and habits of the Common house borer

Lifecycle

• Larva will live for 3 - 5 years boring through timber before emerging to breed.

Habits

• They actively fly in warm sunny weather.
• Within homes and other buildings the common house borer
• Infestations can damage decorative woodwork, musical instruments, wooden tools and on a more serious scale wood flooring, joinery and structural timbers.
• These wood boring beetles consume hardwoods and softwoods.

Two-toothed longhorn borer

Appearance

• Adult Beetle is 20-25mm in length
• Dark Brown colour

Life cycle and habits of the Two-toothed longhorn borer

Lifecycle

Larvae tunnel between 3 to 10 years before emerging.

Habits

• Flight holes between 3mm and 7mm.
• Can infest the heartwood content of softwoods and can cause significant structural damage.
• It frequently infests sub-floor timbers.
• The larvae produce large amounts of bore-dust (or frass) containing cylindrical pellets and leave distinctive crescent shapes on larval tunnels.
• Adult Longhorn beetles emerge in autumn.

The New Zealand drywood termite

Appearance

• Adult Beetle is 20-25mm in length
• Dark Brown colour

Life cycle and habits of the Bean Weevil

Lifecycle

Larvae tunnel between 3 to 10 years before emerging.

Habits

• Flight holes between 3mm and 7mm.
• Can infest the heartwood content of softwoods and can cause significant structural damage.
• It frequently infests sub-floor timbers.
• The larvae produce large amounts of bore-dust (or frass) containing cylindrical pellets and leave distinctive crescent shapes on larval tunnels.
• Adult Longhorn beetles emerge in autumn.