Replies

1. 
   davcefai | Jul 13, 2008 09:25pm | #1

   Freezing kills woodworm (done it often) and should also work on your beetles. Can you wrap it uo well in plastic sheet and freeze it for a couple of weeks. Maybe in a cold store?

   Pest Control Firms often can fumigate stuff for you.

   Most beetles do not like cool dry conditions. (less than 18 deg C, less than 20% humidity) but this may not do the wood any good.

   Alternatively you could try this. I have never tried it but it should work:

   Enclose the wood in a plastic bag or wrap and tape it in plastic sheet.
   Suck out as much air as you can with a vacuum cleaner or pump or whatever.
   Flood the bag with Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, Argon or any gas bar air or oxygen. At a pinch you can get Carbon Dioxide from a soft drink. You ought to be able to shake out 2 litres from every liter of pop. At a pinch, and VERY CAREFULLY, you could use butane or propane (insert the mouth of a blowtorch into the bag, outside and away from sparks, smokers etc.)

   Suck gas out and repeat. (if you use butane/propane DO NOT use an electrical tool. Try to simply press out the gas).

   Let the little critters asphyxiate.
   Look up the lifecycle of these beetles. You need you determine when to repeat the treatment after any eggs hatch and before the new insects reach sexual maturity.

2. 
   Gretchen | Jul 13, 2008 10:12pm | #2

   Tape it up in a plastic bag and set off an insecticide bomb inside. Leave it outside a couple of days.

   Gretchen
3. 
   PCM | Jul 14, 2008 08:05pm | #3

   Gretchen's idea will  probably work, but I would leave the piece in the bag for a few weeks, because the insecticide will not kill eggs, only live beetles. You are essentially replacing oxygen with insecticide inside this tight bag.

   I do not know how long powderpost beetles take to hatch the next generation (fleas are 7-10 days, cockroaches are 10-14 days), so a few weeks in the bag should do the trick. You might ask a local exterminator (they may not give free info), or the U. of Fla. Extension Service.

   Roaches temp limits are 45F to 105F, so the Fla. hot sun and the bug bomb should do the trick.

   Pete  

   
   

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   Edited 7/14/2008 1:09 pm ET by PCM

1. 
   bstevens123 | Jul 14, 2008 08:22pm | #4

   Thanks for everyone's advice. Now my real worry is whether they are in my house and the rest of the wood in my shop. What do you think the likelihood of that is?

1. 
   bd | Jul 15, 2008 01:48am | #5

   If they're truly powderpost beetles, they won't bother dry wood. They have to have a supply of moisture. Go to http://www.doityourselfpestcontrol.comThey've got a lot of online info that you can use to determine what kind of infestation you have &, of course, the chemicals to deal with them.