Beetle Control
Schedule Beetle Control Service
There are three basic groups of beetles: Wood boring beetles, fabric infesting beetles, and food product beetles. We primarily see wood boring beetles along the north coast of California, and in Humboldt County. They thrive in our climate due to the high level of moisture. While seemingly harmless, beetles are capable of causing serious structural damage to buildings. 707 Pest Solutions offers preventative beetle control options, as well as more complete treatments for full-blown infestations. Contact us to get started or to learn more.
Wood Boring Beetles Can Seriously Damage Your Home
The group ‘wood boring beetles’ refers to a large group of insects that eat and destroy wood. While many Humboldt home and business owners are familiar with the damage termites and carpenter ants can deal, several wood boring beetles, such as the Powderpost beetle and the Bark beetle, pose similar threats.
Powderpost Beetles
The most common wood boring beetle on the North Coast. Powderpost beetles are commonly found in crawl spaces, attics, wood support posts, and subfloors. Their eggs are super small, easily fitting into cracks and crevices within wood. Those eggs will hatch in 1-4 weeks, with the larvae staying inside the wood for anywhere between 6 months and 12 years!
While inside the wood, beetle larvae will chew and digest the wood, eventually making their way outside. Wood boring beetles damage structures by chewing out of wood, not into it. This process leaves behind tiny holes and channels that compromise the wood’s structural integrity. Within one month of emerging from wood, powderpost beetles can find new mates and repeat the cycle.
Bark Beetles
This type of wood boring beetle typically does not invade structures. Instead, bark beetles are known to kill trees. They will work their way between the bark and the tree, causing the bark to fall off over time. You may have noticed that some of the trees near your home are missing chunks of bark. 707 Pest Solutions can perform a professional inspection if you suspect beetle activity on your property.
Signs That Beetles Are In or Near Your Home
Look for these signs to help determine whether or not you have a beetle infestation. Beetles will usually seek warm shelter as temperatures drop, so be on the lookout for them during the fall and winter. With that being said, beetles are considered a year-round pest in our area because of our climate.
Wood Damage
Beetle larvae will chew and digest wood from the inside out. This weakens the wood and will likely need to be repaired or replaced. Beetle damage can be similar to termite damage in terms of visuals and economic impact on a homeowner.
Sawdust
Our team can detect how recent beetle activity is based on the amount of sawdust around the damaged area. Sawdust indicates that the activity is recent while seeing hollow holes without sawdust indicates the damage is not recent.
The Actual Beetle
One beetle typically isn’t cause for panic, but if you see them consistently, you may want to call us. We can help by finding their entry points and examining areas for damage. Beetles will damage places where homeowners don’t usually look, so hiring an experienced set of eyes is always a good idea.
How To Prevent Beetle Infestations On Your Own
Different materials will attract different species of beetles to your home. Wood boring beetles obviously seek out areas with wood, while food and fabric beetles seek out materials synonymous with their name. It’s important that the following methods are completed on a regular basis in order to consistently protect your home from beetles.
Seal Entry Points and Cracks
Beetles seek asylum within homes during the colder months. Properly sealing your home is a great way to deny them access into the structure.
Store Food Properly
Beetles lack the ability to break through containers, cupboards, and fridges that are sealed shut. When food is secured properly, beetles won’t have access to it. Beetles won’t stick around for long if they can’t obtain a food source, no matter how warm your home may be.
Remove Damaged Materials
There’s really no sense in trying to salvage wood and other materials that are riddled with beetle damage. The structural integrity is often compromised as result of their chewing habits. 707 Pest Solutions can inspect those damaged areas for you, and replace wood as needed.
Remove Hiding Places In Your Yard
Beetles seek shelter in homes to avoid cold weather. They may settle upon areas throughout your yard as well, such as on furniture, gardens, potted plants, and piles of firewood. Try moving firewood away from the walls of your home. Having firewood nearby can attract beetles to your yard, which then may target your home soon after.
Get Rid Of Beetles With 707 Pest Solutions
One single beetle is rarely cause for concern. It’s when you notice multiple beetles in your home that we recommend contacting 707 Pest Solutions for a professional inspection. Beetles can damage your home in a similar way termites can. You may not realize that beetles are damaging your home until it is too late. Our inspection will uncover the size of the infestation, as well as any potential damaged areas that beetles are focusing on.
There are some beetle poisons on the market available to homeowners that want to attempt beetle control on their own. While these methods can be effective at preventing beetle infestations, they do use powerful chemicals to get the job done. We urge caution whenever using these products, as they can be dangerous to your family, pets, and other animals that travel throughout your yard. Beetle control is an ongoing battle best left to the professionals. From sealing up entry points to complete infestation control, allow 707 Pest Solutions to get our hands dirty for you. Contact us to learn more or to schedule your inspection.
How We Control Beetle Infestations
1. Inspect For Beetles
We’ll visit your property to uncover the extent of your beetle infestation. Our technicians will look for possible entry points and factors that may be attracting beetles to your home.
2. Recommendation
There are many treatment options available for effective beetle control. Following your inspection, our technicians will outline our recommended plan of attack. This includes an explanation of treatment, quote for service, and the timeline for completion.
3. Beetle Treatment & Prevention
We frequently use Nisus products for our beetle control service. Nisus Bora-Care® is a wood treatment that penetrates wood to kill and prevent wood boring beetles, as well as termites and carpenter ants. Nisus Tim-Bor® Professional is an insecticidal dust that acts as a wood preservative, fungicide and insecticide to control and prevent wood decay fungi, wood boring beetles, as well as termites and carpenter ants.
Note* These products may be used in tandem with each other, or with other products, to treat for beetles. In instances where a full-blown infestation is present, fumigation may be required for complete beetle treatment.
4. Ongoing Monitoring & Prevention
Our team won’t just treat for beetles once and then leave. We help keep your home beetle free, month after month. These year round pests are notorious for causing serious structural damage to the wood around your home, so ongoing prevention is necessary. We like to schedule regular check in visits to ensure that our treatments are effective in the long term. With every visit, we look for any new entry points and apply additional treatment as needed.