Borers
Damage
to houses by wood boring insects is significantly less in Australia than
that caused by termites. The identification of the cause of the damage
is an essential first step for householders in deciding the appropriate
control measures, if any of these are required. In many situations treatment
or replacement is not required for the insects are no longer present and
the damage has not affected the structural strength of the timber
It is recommended that the following procedures are followed when borer infestations are located in timber of a house or furniture.
1) If the insects are located, these should accompany a sample of damage
for identification by the relevant government authority or a consultant.
2) An inspection by a pest control technician should be carried out to
determine the extent of the infestation.
3) The merits of treatment and/or replacement of affected timbers will
be evaluated.
There are five common types of borers, all of which are beetles. Superficially their damage is very similar; round holes in timber approximately 1.5 to 2.0 millimetres in diameter. The five beetles (and their larvae) differ in appearance, life cycles, food preferences and damage potential. All of these features assist in their identification and the decision on control.