Sarah - First - you do NOT have a Powderpost beetle "infestation". The first photo shows a wide larval gallery and an oval flight hole. The second photo shows lots of "bun-shaped" pelletized frass. Both the first and second photos show a softwood board; not hardwood. The third photo shows a click beetle in the center and what appears to be a ground beetle in the upper left corner. Neither beetle has anything to do with the damaged boards. What you have are galleries and damage from larval tunneling of the Old House Borer, Hylotrupes bajulus. Although it is called the old house borer, it often rides into new homes in the form of larvae already in the wood. Standard kiln-treating lumber does not kill the larvae.
Unless I know more details, I cannot tell you if it's active or inactive. Most of the time, especially in old buildings, the infestation was built into the building and has long since died out. Tom Parker 610-348-9890 Cell -----Original Message----- From: Nucci, Sarah <snu...@pwcgov.org> To: pestlist <pestlist@museumpests.net> Sent: Fri, Aug 12, 2016 12:42 pm Subject: [pestlist] Powder Post Beetles We have been having some issues in one of our structures with what I think is likely Powder Post Beetles. We’ve had pest companies tell us everything from “you don’t have a problem” to “you have a terrible problem.” Does anyone here have any experience with PPB? Opinions? Thanks! Sarah Nucci Preservationist, Prince William County 703-792-5619
