Appearance

• Size: Adult Anobiid powderpost beetles are small and are less than 5/16 of an inch long.
• Color: Adults are brownish or black in color and larvae are lightly colored.
• Characteristics: Body shape ranges from long and thin to oval. When viewed from above, their heads are not visible since they are hidden under the first segment of their bodies. During their larval stage, these pests have a grub-like appearance.

Diet

Anobiid powderpost beetles do not feed on wood, it is their larvae that cause damage as they feed and develop in infested wood. They prefer seasoned, older wood located in cooler areas of the home with moisture content more than 14 percent. Their larvae will feed on both hardwoods and softwoods from the inside, reducing them to fine dust, including:

• Fir
• Plywood
• Pine
• Spruce
• Timber

Habitat

These insects live and infest in:

• Basements
• Beams
• Crawlspaces
• Joists
• Still plates
• Subflooring

Life Cycle

The complete life cycle from egg to adult normally takes about one to three years. Anobiid powderpost beetles prefer to lay their eggs in cracks, old beetle exit holes, or under wood splinters. Upon hatching, larvae bore into wood, begin to feed and finally become adult beetles that bore round exit holes about 1/8 inch in diameter. Adult females can fly, but usually lay their eggs in the same wood they exited from.