What are borer?
Borer are a type of flying beetle found throughout Southland. They have a 3-year lifecycle and develop in 4 stages; Egg, larvae, pupa, and flying insect. While the flying insect are the easiest to spot, the larvae are most concerning. Because they are the ones that eat the timber, they’re particularly troublesome. That isn’t to say that the adults are harmless and should be left alone though… They’re the ones that lay the eggs after all.
What do borer do and how can I tell if I have them?
Borer are particularly problematic because they like to eat wood and can sometimes be found in places you might not check regularly such as the attic, subfloor, and crawlspace. If left unchecked, they can cause significant damage to timber framing, which can be an expensive but necessary repair.
Some of the signs for borer include:
- Oval or round holes in wood. Borer eat through wood and essentially tunnel their way inside and can eventually eat all the way through. Borer holes are an oval or round shape and often there will be many of them in one area.
- Dust on the wood. When the beetles emerge from the wood, they often leave behind Borer dust, often around the holes.
- Crumbling wood. Borer will often be found at the edges or corners of wood, so if you notice the wood crumbling in this area it could mean you have them.
- Weakened floorboards. If you notice dips or a concave in the floor, that’s a possibility that you have borer, and you should get someone to check immediately.
- Dead beetles around the house. Even if you haven’t noticed any of the above signs, if you have dead winged beetles around, that often means they’re coming from somewhere, and possibly somewhere you have yet to check.
When is the best time for treatment and prevention?
In order to get the best results for borer removal, we recommend doing treatment between September and April. During these warmer months, you have the opportunity to make a break in the lifecycle chain, which not only will deal with the ones you have at the moment, but greatly reduce the chance of them returning in the near future. This in turn can help stop the issues that these beetles can cause.
Can I treat borer myself?
Yes, there are options for treating them like borer spray or bug bombs that can do the job for small groups that you catch early on. If you notice larger infestations however, the bombs and consumer treatments may not be enough. Because of the issues that borer can cause for your property if they aren’t removed properly, we recommend leaving large-scale treatments to a professional pest controller.
At Nexus, when we do borer treatment, we inspect the property thoroughly for any signs of borer, including places you may not think to check. Then we use powerful pesticides to take care of them. If you notice any of the signs of borer, give us a call today, we’re happy to come to your property and take a look to see what you’re dealing with.