Hardwood Floor Damage Insects

If you have hardwood floors the infestation can t be seen even for some years.

Hardwood floor damage insects.

Powderpost beetles are wood boring insects that damage both hardwoods and softwoods. The two wing sets of flying termites are the same size while carpenter ants have one smaller and one larger set. Adults are very small reddish to dark brown insects with a clearly visible head and antennae. Just in a few years a considerably numerous colony of subterranean termites can entirely destroy a house and as a result it becomes unlivable and ramshackle.

We recently installed hard wood floors throughout our house. Squeaky floors can be tightened and quieted at least temporarily with nails or dry lubricant. Even kiln dried wood can become infested. Lyctids or true powderpost beetles are by far the most common powderpost beetle associated with damage in north america.

Wood flooring can be protected by sealing the surface and or treating it with borate insecticide. Their damage to hardwood flooring happens when their larvae bore into the wood through surface cracks. Hatching larvae bore into the wood and can result in extensive damage. Powderpost beetles are most often responsible for damage to hardwood flooring.

Holes can be plugged. The gaps are able to fit a dime in some areas and some are less gaps than that. First the adult beetle lays its eggs on the wood surface then the larva bores through. But afterwards floors be one weaker.

It is essential to properly identify the insects to determine the right course of treatment. Signs of termite damage to hardwood floors termites have always been leading an extremely secret way of life thus representing a hidden danger for a man and his dwelling. Some wood pest such as termites powder post beetle carpenters ants and some bugs may cause irreparable damage to your wood floors making them spotty and aged. We live in chicago and had water damage in the house due to pipe burst and then we had the hard wood floors installed last oct.

This jan we started noticing gaps between the boards. Worker termites have a soft pale yellow body opposed to the hard and dark bodies of other pests. There are a few different pests that can cause damage to hardwood floors such as carpenter ants powder post beetles or termites. Termite damaged planks insect infested boards or delaminated strips can be replaced if there aren t too many.

Adults emerge mate and lay eggs in pores or cracks on the wood surface. Floor tiles become looseif termites damage joists floor supports the floor may start sagging. Termites may eat the backing of the laminate floors.