Powder Post Beetles range in size from 1/16″ to 5/16″ in length and vary in color from reddish brown to black. They have tiny, grub-shaped larvae that can be found feeding in wood and are usually about 3/16 of an inch long.
These small brown beetles find their way into a compromised tree, produce wood-boring larvae that chew wood to a very fine powder where the saw-dust-like wood also known as frass which is usually found at the base of the tree. Also look for small round pinholes in the wood approximately 1/32 – 1/16 inch-diameter.
These beetles can also bore into the rafters of houses. They can infest seasoned wood, older homes or barns or even re-infest the same piece of wood, laying their eggs in the wood.
Powderpost beetles like t o breed in dead and dying hardwoods, so trees that are in decline are considered easy targets.
