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5 Bugs That Eat Wood and How to Identify Them

Types of Bugs That Eat Wood

The Spruce / Nez Riaz

Wood-eating insects are a nuisance and can quickly turn hazardous around your home, causing damage, especially in outdoor structures like wooden decks and garden sheds. They make a mess, destroy property, and weaken building support structures. Some cause skin irritation because they bite, sting, or carry parasites that bite. Others can generate mold and mildew creating allergic reactions.

Learn to spot signs of an infestation and identify the wood-eating pest doing the damage.

Signs Bugs Are Eating Your Wood

Look for these signs when you suspect the presence of wood-eating bugs:

  • Small round exit holes in wood
  • Sawdust or frass (fine shavings, powders, or pellets) around exit holes
  • Creaky floorboards, peeling tile, stained or warped walls, flooring, decking, furniture, and other wood structures or products
  • Tunneling in structural supports like floor joists, studs, and ceiling beams
  • Mold or mildew around the wood surrounding water pipes and faucets
  • Swarming insects around window frames, pools, spas, outbuildings, and outdoor wood furniture

Tip

Call an expert if you suspect an infestation of wood-boring insects in or around your home. Pest control specialists help locate and identify pests, assess damage, and offer methods and advice about controlling wood-eating insects.

  • 01 of 05

    Termite

    Termite

    Sergiu Rusu / Getty Images

    Termites are the most destructive wood-eating pests with more than 2,000 species worldwide. These small insects have 1/4-inch long white to light brown bodies that look unsegmented, squarish or oval heads, straight antennae (not curved), and four uniform wings longer than their bodies.

    Early signs of termite damage look similar to water damage, such as buckling wood, squeaky floorboards, swollen floors and ceilings, and pinpoint holes in wood structures. Termites don't make sawdust but some species leave behind pellets that look like sawdust but are frass or termite poop. Termite damage creates an odor of mold or mildew causing asthma and allergic reactions in humans.

    Three types of termites are commonly found in homes and property in the United States.

    • Subterranean termite: Seven species are typically present in every state except Alaska. They nest in the soil and migrate upward to eat the wood in homes. They have yellow-brown bodies with oval-shaped heads.
    • Dry termite: Three species are found in southern states and they prefer living in dry wood in walls, frames, flooring, and furniture.
    • Formosan termite: These termites form large colonies that tunnel through walls. Found north to Virginia and West to California but are more prevalent in southern states.
  • 02 of 05

    Carpenter Ant

    Carpenter Ant

    Henrik_L / Getty Images

    Carpenter ants cause millions of dollars in damage to homes every year. These small, 1/4- to 1/2-inch long, black, or red insects don't consume wood but eat through it to create nests. They look different from other ants with their bent antennae, narrow waists, and hind wings longer than their fore wings.

    Carpenter ants leave behind wood shavings called frass, pushing it through small holes in wood structures. They prefer to tunnel through soft, damp wood and frequent areas around pools and spas, window casings, and water sources, including sinks, dishwashers, and toilets. If you see several carpenter ants actually flying around your home, you likely have an infestation. Flying ants are an indication the colony is preparing to expand.

    Carpenter ants don't sting but they can deliver a painful bite by injecting formic acid into the wound. The bite, however, does not pose a health hazard.

  • 03 of 05

    Carpenter Bee

    Carpenter Bee

    Wirestock / Getty Images

    Carpenter bees are attracted to movement and appear aggressive if you get near their nests. They look threatening but are mostly harmless to humans. Only female bees have stingers and use them only when the nest is disturbed and threatened.

    Carpenter bees look like bumblebees but without the yellow stripes. Their bodies have a fuzzy yellow covering near the head but the bottom is black or metallic and smooth. The antennae are bent and the forewings are longer than the body.

    Like carpenter ants, carpenter bees don't consume wood but cause structural damage by tunneling to create nests, leaving behind large piles of sawdust. Carpenter bees target unpainted, weathered, exterior softwoods on homes, buildings, decking, and furniture.

  • 04 of 05

    Powderpost Beetle

    Powderpost Beetle

    Tomasz Klejdysz / Getty Images

    Powderpost beetles are second only to termites in the damage they cause to seasoned hardwoods. The insects are active at night and are rarely seen but leave tiny holes surrounded by powdery sawdust in flooring, paneling, furniture, and other wood materials. Antique furniture is particularly vulnerable to this insect.

    Beetles are brown to reddish and 1/8- to 3/4-inch long with two pairs of wings. They are strong fliers and can fly into a home but are most often brought in with firewood, old furniture, or hardwood construction materials.

    Powderpost beetles are attracted to light and may be spotted around windows during an infestation.

    Continue to 5 of 5 below
  • 05 of 05

    Furniture Beetle

    Furniture Beetle

    Tomasz Klejdysz / Getty Images

    Furniture beetles are commonly referred to as woodworms because their larvae (small white grubs) consume softwoods and hardwoods that are at least 10 years old. They prefer damp, moist wood, and are often found in wood flooring, crawl spaces, and wood siding.

    Insects are reddish-brown, 1/4-inch long with an elongated oval shape, and have segmented antennae. They seldom fly but have wings marked by grooves.

    Emerging adults make tiny 1/8-inch exit holes surrounded by powdery frass created by the tunneling so they can reach and feed the grubs. The beetle is not hazardous to humans or pets but can carry a biting parasite that causes skin irritations.

FAQ
  • How can I tell which insect is eating the wood in my home?

    It can be tough to tell which bug is eating your wood since they hide so well but a pest control company can help identify the culprit. If you see fine powdery-like mounds or trails near holes consisting of tiny wood shavings, you likely have a wood-eating insect problem.

  • How are wood-eating insects destroyed?

    Wood-eating insects can usually be eliminated through fumigation or other professional treatments.

  • What attracts wood-eating insects?

    Most of the time, wet or moist wood will attract wood-eating pests.

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  1. Papini R. A. A case of stings in humans caused by Sclerodermus sp. in ItalyThe journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases, vol. 20,1 11, doi: 10.1186/1678-9199-20-11