[AT] OT - Powder Post Beetles

CEE VILL cvee60 at hotmail.com
Sun Jun 13 05:29:49 PDT 2004


Rob,
I would suggest you google this beetle and see what you can learn about it, 
possible on a Cornell University site or other university site. You should 
be able to learn what evidence indicates current activity, if any, then make 
your decision based on your new knowledge combined with your current 
observation of the beams.


Older homes with hand hewn beams are fairly common in our area.  When I sold 
(or attempted to sell) real estate some years back, it was not uncommon the 
see these beams that looked pretty compromised on the surface.  If the beams 
looked to be carrying their load well, out simple test was to take a pocket 
knife or other sharp instrument and push it into the wood to see how far to 
solid wood.  1/2 inch to 1 inch of punky surface is not a lot of loss in a 
12 inch timber.  Some of these may have been hanging around the basement for 
150 years, so that is to be expected.  How would anyone know if a particular 
beam was hewn from an already dead tree and the beetle holes were in the 
tree before it was put in place as a beam??  I have seen bore holes in new 
lumber at the lumber yard.  The junk isn't always sorted out.

Just my $ .02 worth.
Good luck,

Charlie V.








>From: Rob Gray <Robgray at epix.net>
>Reply-To: Antique tractor email discussion group 
><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>Subject: [AT] OT - Powder Post Beetles
>Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 07:15:24 -0400
>
>Please excuse the off topic posts, but here is another. I had an 
>exterminator company come out to look at the house.  In the basement the 
>inspector found evidence of powder post beetle damage. I now believe that 
>this damage is at least mostly old because my dad says that these pencil 
>point sized holes in the old hand hewn beams have been there at least since 
>1950 when my granpa bought the house. Does anyone on the list know how I 
>can tell if this pest is currently living in the wood? The exterminator 
>wants $1,000 to treat the beams, but I don't want to pay if the damage is 
>old and the bugs are no longer there.
>
>The inspector had me real nervous with their description of the potential 
>damage that these bugs do, so I signed on to have this treatement done, but 
>now I'm having second thoughts and might want to cancel....
>
>Any advice from folks who have had experience with this type of bug would 
>be greatly appreciated.....
>
>Rob Gray
>NE PA
>
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