Kathy from Llano, Tx writes
Have powderpost beetles in a small piece of furniture - wood less than 1" thick. Could I put the piece in a tightly closed plastic bag to help speed the result?
Powderpost beetles can lay dormant for years in the wood and Boracare will not kill them until they are actively feeding. Even after applying a product like Boracare to all sides of the infested raw wood (ideal situation) you can often still see signs of activity of the powder post beetles for a few years after treatment. This is because the product works through ingestion so as the larvae emerge from the wood (which is whenever they are good and ready) they eat the wood on their way out and ingest it and die. No new adults will be able to leave them in any holes in the wood as again, once they ingest it they will die. Placing treated wood in a sealed bag will not increase the speed at which this happens. If it is just one piece of furniture that is infested and you want a quicker kill, you can also contact local furniture finishers or pest control operators who may offer a heat chamber. Heating the furniture up to over 140 degrees for several hours will any pest that is inside where dormant or not.
Answer last updated on: 04/17/2017
