Powder Posts Not Very Pesky?

[Shayla]

A framing friend was contacted by a customer who noticed sawdust inside her fitting. It was done
with a Roma, a few years ago, and when he disassembled, found powder post holes. From what I've
heard, they only chew on green wood (of certain species?), so newly hatched beetles aren't a threat
to home furniture. The piece is reversibly mounted to foam core, and friend wants to know if he should
remove it and remount. I haven't heard of them snacking on foam core, but what say?

 

[alacrity8]

My guess would be, if it was done years ago, the threat has passed.
I may very well be wrong, as I do not know if the Beetles go dormant for long periods.

 

[TangoTonight]

A framing friend was contacted by a customer who noticed sawdust inside her fitting. It was done
with a Roma, a few years ago, and when he disassembled, found powder post holes. From what I've
heard, they only chew on green wood (of certain species?), so newly hatched beetles aren't a threat
to home furniture. The piece is reversibly mounted to foam core, and friend wants to know if he should
remove it and remount. I haven't heard of them snacking on foam core, but what say?

I don't think it's just green wood, it's any soft wood (like pine); I've heard that the beetles can survive processing treatments. I wouldn't bother remounting, but definitely get that guy a new frame. Yuck.

 

[Shayla]

I don't think it's just green wood, it's any soft wood (like pine); I've heard that the beetles can survive processing treatments. I wouldn't bother remounting, but definitely get that guy a new frame. Yuck.

Yes, definitely gross. Thanks much, for your note.

 

[Rick Granick]

Rick

 

[Prospero]

You used to be able to get traps for them. Lion did them. They consisted of a sticky cardboard pad an a phail of
some pheromone stuff. The idea was the adult beetles in search of a mate would be attracted to the traps and
get stuck, thus breaking the lifecycle. I tried some once in my shed. All I caught was a few spiders.
Lion haven't carried them for many years so I imagine they weren't a great success.

The fav egg-laying sites are the rougher sections in a piece of wood. Endgrain and any little splits/fissures. The larvae
will then chew their way along the length until they reach the end and then presumably turn around and chew their way
back again. They will do this for a year or two and then go to the surface where they pupate and emerge in adult form.
They then mate and lay eggs - possibly in the same piece of wood. If you get wood with holes in then treating it will prevent
reinfection, but won't kill 'the next generation' which will emerge in subsequent years. The only surefire way to sanitize the wood
is to put it in a freezer for a few months. A bit tricky if it's a large piece of furniture.

I did once have the not inconsiderable pleasure of chopping one in half with a Morso.