Wood-Boring Powderpost Beetles

-- Small beetles that infest wood --

Summary: The term "powderpost" beetle refers to the type of damage done by several different wood-boring beetles. The larvae of powderpost beetles infest both hardwoods, like oak and ash, and softwoods like pine and fir. Larvae develop feeding on starch contained in wood cells. As they tunnel a fine powdery sawdust is left behind. After a long development, that depends on the quality of the wood, larvae become adults that emerge through the wood surface. Emergence holes are usually surrounded by tell-tale piles of the fine powder for which the beetles are named. Larvae are sometimes called "woodworms".

Woodworm & powderpost beetle damage potential

Powderpost beetles are potentially the most destructive beetle pests of seasoned wood (termites are more destructive of all wood overall, however). These small, wood-boring insects may damage both hardwoods such as oak, maple, and ash, as well as softwoods like pine, fir, and spruce.

What makes these beetles so potentially damaging is their ability to repeatedly infest relatively dry, seasoned wood over many years and many generations of beetles. There are other wood-boring insects that are less important because they do not infest wood after the first generation which limits their damage potential (see A List of the Wood Damaging Insects for descriptions of these pests).

While larvae (grubs) do all the damage by their tunneling and feeding adult beetles are the ones most often seen. Adults typically are small, elongated brown beetles (see photo below).