Grinder beetle: why it is dangerous, what it looks like and methods of its destruction

Content:

• Pest prevention
• Who is the grinder beetle?
• Longhorn beetle
• How to get rid of woodworm from wooden houses
• How to prevent woodworms
• Do-it-yourself woodworm control
• Professional remedies for woodworm
• Types of wood pests
• Reasons for the appearance of beetles in wooden buildings
• Video on the topic of fighting the borer beetle in a wooden house

Wooden houses have long been considered the best for living. They are warm in winter and cool in summer; the beauty of wood patterns caresses the eye. With proper care, such a house will serve its owners for a long time, protecting them from any bad weather and giving comfort to the whole family. But every house has its own weaknesses. In wooden houses these are wood pests. They must be fought harshly and uncompromisingly.

Damage caused by the bark beetle

Bark beetles are considered quite dangerous pests of green spaces. They destroy trees in forests, parks, as well as cultivated trees in gardens. Adults feed on plant tissue, but their larvae are considered the most harmful. Their livelihoods require a lot of food, so they quite actively destroy mature trees by making tunnels in them. They also penetrate the wooden structures of buildings and structures, rendering them unusable and in disrepair.

Beetles make passages in structural elements that, for a number of reasons, cannot be replaced. In this regard, such buildings can collapse at any time, which can lead to human injury or even casualties. In addition to making tunnels, bark beetles are carriers of certain fungi that parasitize the tree. If fungus also appears on wooden structures, the building will collapse in the near future.

How I fought bark beetle and shashel

Pest prevention

Wood beetles in a wooden house bring a lot of trouble; if you miss the moment and leave events uncontrolled, then the matter can end in complete damage to the walls and beams of the building. Planned prevention should be a mandatory measure to preserve housing built from wood. It is much easier to prevent a problem than to solve it valiantly later. And in the fight against woodworm, victory may remain on his side.

Enjoying breakfast and lunch with delicious floors for several years, the grinder beetle and its family are capable of completely collapsing a house of any size. To avoid disastrous results from pests, a set of preventive actions should be carried out regularly.

Nutrition

The diet of borer beetles is incredibly varied and depends on which subspecies you want to study. For example, bread borer larvae are able to grow and develop in books, feed on dry grocery products, grain, wallpaper paste and even garbage. But the most important thing is that these same larvae can actively eat poisonous medicines such as ergot, belladonna and aconite with absolutely no harm to themselves.

Beetles received such a unique opportunity to absorb and digest almost everything in their path thanks to a natural symbiosis with some special types of microorganisms that reproduce in mycetomas and supply the beetles with nitrogen-containing substances that are rare for them.

These microorganisms are so valuable to beetles that they are literally passed on from generation to generation. When laying an egg, the female covers it on top with these very microorganisms, which are absorbed by the larva during the process of hatching and gnawing its way into the outside world.

Who is the grinder beetle?

It belongs to the Coleoptera family, is large in size and is quite common in all regions of the country. Despite the many varieties, the habits and preferences of these insects are very similar. Initially, he occupied an important natural niche and processed fallen and broken trees, working as a forest orderly. But gradually the grinder beetle moved closer to human habitation and discovered a lot of tasty things for itself: furniture, books, cardboard and paper. But what he liked most was the houses themselves. The first signs that a borer beetle has infested a wooden house will be small holes in various elements and the appearance of small white caterpillars under wooden structures.

Habitat and lifestyle

Grinder on a tree.

Borer beetles are found almost everywhere. Insects are widespread in the following areas:

• Kazakhstan;
• Ukraine;
• Siberia;
• european part of Russia.

These beetles very often settle near humans. Adults devote their lives exclusively to reproduction. They do not search for food and live off the nutrients accumulated during the larval stage.

Longhorn beetle

This insect also happily settles in wooden houses and it can be difficult to drive it out. If fine wood dust appears in the house, and small neat holes are found in wooden surfaces, these are traces of his activity. The second name of the insect is the woodcutter beetle, which speaks for itself. Creaking and tapping in the silence of the night should be regarded as a declaration of war and an urgent need to save the house from the aggressor.

The insect is quite large, more than 11 centimeters in length, the head is decorated with long antennae, the color ranges from dark brown to black. Once inside the house, he happily takes on partitions, wooden upholstery, floor boards, window frames and load-bearing beams. The longhorned beetle in a wooden house can cause enormous harm. The means of combating it are standard; the main thing is to immediately begin treatment at the first sign of the appearance of the pest.

Signs of bark beetle infestation

Bark beetles cause a lot of damage to trees. They are small in size, but traces of their presence can be seen:

• the bark may have small holes covered with resin or brown wood flour;
• the appearance of a woodpecker in the garden may indicate the presence of bark beetles;
• the presence of holes of different sizes on the trunks may mean that the beetles have settled, raised offspring, and the young individuals have left the habitat.

Each type of bark beetle leaves its own specific pattern under the bark, on the trunk.

How to prevent woodworms

A wooden house requires attention and care. A few simple rules will prevent the appearance of unwanted tenants.

1. Primary processing of the material is carried out before construction begins. Such impregnations as “Pinotex”, “Antizhuk”, “Senezh” and “Phoenix” have proven themselves well.
2. It is necessary to regularly inspect all surfaces for the appearance of holes and passages; pests should not be given a single loophole.
3. Beetles readily settle in damp rooms, so you should regularly ventilate and dry the house, especially in the warm season.
4. Cleanliness is the key not only to health, but also to the absence of pests in the house. All bulk products are best stored in jars with tightly sealed lids.
5. Regular wet cleaning with disinfectants and wiping doors, windows and furniture with a mixture of turpentine, paraffin and creolin will reduce the appearance of the borer beetle in a wooden house to almost zero.
6. Any piece of furniture in which a woodworm has infested must be immediately removed from the house and ceremonially burned.

Description of the insect

Four types of beetles live in heated rooms: furniture beetles, house beetles, grain beetles, barbel beetles, and, less commonly, bark beetles.

Characteristic features of grinder beetles:

• an elongated body (from 3 to 10 mm) of a cylindrical shape with a relatively small head;
• hard wings, covered with a hard chitinous shell with hairs;
• three pairs of five-jointed legs;
• antennae of different lengths;
• color in brownish tones with reddish, greenish-yellow shades.

Adult beetles crawl out of their nests only during the breeding season.

The main function of an adult beetle is mating and laying eggs by females. They do not live long, from one to three weeks. One female lays from 40 to 200 eggs per clutch, depending on the species. The main damage to wood is caused by larvae. From the first minute of their appearance, they begin to actively eat the tree. It takes from one to three years before pupation. During the day, the larva makes passages up to 3 mm in the tree.

Nutrition

The larvae of beetles mainly feed on cellulose in wood and paper. One of the types, bread, is found in food products: dry bread, cereals, dried fruits, pasta. Some species prefer dry wood, others wet. The population of wood grinder beetles causes significant damage to structures and wood products, literally eating it away from the inside, turning it into dust.

Life cycle and reproduction

The danger of grinder beetles is that they have a long biological life cycle, up to three years. The adult individual (imago) of the beetle grinder can be seen only in the warm season in May-June, when it gets out of the nest and mates. Caterpillars inside wood can live from three years to 15–17 years. Periodically, if the temperature fluctuates downwards, it goes into suspended animation.

Cycle:

1. Eggs. The female beetle grinder lays eggs in cracks, crevices, and in nests that the female makes. They are whitish or transparent in appearance, 1–1.5 mm long. The clutch of eggs contains symbiotic microorganisms, they help the larvae digest cellulose.
2. Larvae. They begin to appear at about 7–12 days. The shape resembles a semi-rolled white worm (3–4 mm). Most have several pairs of short, prehensile legs that help them move along the aisles.
3. Pupa of a beetle grinder. An adult individual is formed from it in 2–3 years. Before transformation, the larva stops eating for several days. The pupa has enough accumulated nutrients.

The optimal temperature for reproduction is +28 – +30°C. If a similar temperature regime is maintained in the house, then certain types of grinder beetles can crawl out and reproduce all year round.

This is interesting. Getting rid of woodworm is difficult. All individuals of the biological chain spend most of their time inside the structures of a log house or hut.

Borer beetles can also be detected by the characteristic sound inside a wooden structure. Before mating, the male lightly hits his head against the walls of the passage. This is a conditioned signal for the female, reminiscent of the ticking of a clock mechanism.

Do-it-yourself woodworm control

First of all, it is necessary to determine the size of the disaster. To do this, you should carefully inspect all wooden surfaces and identify areas of damage. If the source is furniture, it is immediately removed from the home and disposed of. The most reliable way is to burn the affected objects. The passages and holes are checked using a screwdriver; if it is easily stuck to a great depth, the element will have to be replaced. If the damage is minor, then you can use improvised means. The following measures will give a good result:

• filling the passages with petroleum jelly, a mixture of naphthalene and gasoline, followed by sealing with paraffin or putty;
• heating to 60 C ° or freezing to -2 C ° or more;
• treatment with insecticide using a spray bottle.

How not to buy wood with bark beetle

Wood that is waiting to be sold in a warehouse can also be attacked by the bark beetle.

To avoid purchasing such material for construction, follow these precautions:

• Inspect the wood for small holes and tracks.
• If you buy wood with bark, inspect its ends for damage.
• The wood must be dry.
• If you are purchasing a pre-built wooden structure, be sure to carefully inspect it for damage from bark beetles. It is possible that the house is being sold for this very reason.

Professional remedies for woodworm

If available means do not produce tangible results or the affected area is quite extensive. Then you will have to resort to professional means. The fight against the borer beetle in a wooden house is carried out using synthetic agents.

1. The use of fast-acting insecticides is effective, but poses a danger to the health of people and animals, so treatment is carried out by spraying, you need to work in a protective suit in the absence of residents, carefully treating the surface and paying special attention to hard-to-reach places. After treatment, you need at least 4 hours for through ventilation.
2. Residual insecticides work on the principle of slow poisoning of insects. They are placed in specially drilled holes in wooden surfaces, which are sealed with wax, paraffin or putty. The drugs “Prima”, “Anti-bug”, and “Wood Healer” are in particular demand.
3. Larvae and adults are sensitive to the smell of phosphine. Fumigators will help solve the pest problem, but only in enclosed spaces.

The most radical way to fight is to call a specialized team to carry out a complete treatment of the house with professional poisons.

Destruction methods

From time immemorial, grinders have been neighbors with people, so methods of combating them have been known for a long time. There are many ways to kill beetles, but they all have a rather weak effect. The reason for this lies in the specific habitat of insects - it is impossible to penetrate their passages and ensure direct contact of insecticides with beetles and larvae.

For garden plants, the grinder is not so dangerous, since in winter they undergo natural treatment at low temperatures for a long time. It is more difficult if insects appear in residential or commercial premises.

Traditional methods

Let's consider several traditional methods of destroying the grinder:

1. Vaseline oil . This composition is pipetted and syringed into the passages made by the grinder. At the end of the procedure, the holes are sealed with wax. The method is safe, since the oil is odorless and completely harmless, it does not burn and does not damage healthy wood. The procedure is repeated after 2 weeks.
2. A mixture of kerosene and turpentine in a ratio of 3:1 . The application method is the same, pour it into the passages with a pipette. In this case, a specific smell appears in the premises, which lasts for quite a long time.
3. A mixture of naphthalene (8 g) with benzene (80 ml) . In the same way, the composition is poured into the holes. If this is not possible, apply it to the surface with a brush. The smell from the product is very strong and does not dissipate for a long time.
4. A mixture of carbolic acid, naphthalene and resin . They are combined in equal parts, mixed thoroughly and filled with the resulting composition into all the holes that could be found.
5. Temperature treatment of problematic products . Temperatures above +60° and below -2° are destructive for larvae and insects. Accordingly, the products are taken out into the cold and kept for at least a day (several days, a week or more is recommended), or treated with hot steam. The second option is ineffective, since wood is an excellent heat insulator. Many insects located inside the passages easily tolerate the treatment. Cooling is more productive, but not all items can be processed in this way.

Traditional methods of fighting the grinder are quite effective, but have a lot of disadvantages. Most formulations have a strong, persistent odor that lasts for a long time. if the treatment was carried out in residential premises, the harmful effects will affect not only insects, but also people.

Use of insecticides and chemical compounds

The most effective methods of influencing the grinder are chemicals or special preparations - insecticides. However, they are used only in case of extensive damage to critical structural elements of the house, walls or ceilings. Chemical compounds are dangerous and must be used with caution and care.

The most effective means include:

1. 
   Copper sulfate solution

   . It is poured into the holes, which are previously cleaned of drill flour.
2. Use of aerosols . There are many similar compounds on sale (for example, Prima 71), which can quickly treat even hard-to-reach areas.
3. Fumigation . This is a procedure in which an object is placed in a plastic cocoon (using a bag or wrapped in film), and a large amount of dichlorvos is sprinkled inside.
4. Microwave radiation . This is a modern method in which the wood is heated from the inside, destroying the larvae. Treatment is carried out sequentially, bypassing all affected areas.
5. Use of insecticides . These compounds are very effective, but for application it is necessary to use special tools and first remove the drill flour. There is a technology for continuous douching, when holes are drilled (about 1 mm) and the composition is injected into them with a syringe with a thin needle. You have to drill often, so the measure is considered forced, an extreme measure.

The success of the procedure depends largely on the precise choice of chemical or composition. Most users are not very good at this. Therefore, the best solution would be to contact a specialized company, where they will help you choose the right composition and carry out the procedure for exterminating insects.

The most effective insecticides recommended by experts are:

This is a group of antiseptics consisting of 5 drugs of varying intensity. 1 grade is used for preventive treatment of wood and garden plants, the rest are used as needed;

A biocidal preparation that is applied by brush, roller or spray. Suitable for treating premises and garden plants;

Used as a preventive and therapeutic agent for affected wood.

A powerful insecticide based on chlorpyrifos;

Types of wood pests

In nature, there are quite a few insects that prefer wood as a source of food. Bark beetles love to settle in living trunks, and woodworms have chosen buildings, pieces of furniture and other wooden structures.

House grinder

It has taken a liking to the outer walls of buildings and feels great eating raw wood. The small size of the insect makes it difficult to find, but the winding passages have not gone away and the pest can be identified by their presence.

Furniture sharpener

A rather cunning beetle, it hides in furniture and its upholstery and hides in any danger. It is not easy to detect, but with proper attention, small holes can be found that will confirm the home owner's worst fears. It is small in size and eats everything that contains cellulose.

Common comb grinder

This beetle has luxurious branched mustaches, which does not change the attitude towards it, since it is also a malicious pest of everything wooden. This variety is very difficult to breed. The larvae live a long time, from 5 to 20 years, turning into dust everything they can reach.

Bread grinder

He left the hard and insipid wood to his brothers and settled in the kitchen and pantry, where food supplies are stored and does not ignore cereals, grains, pasta and dried fruits. He not only spoils supplies, but also poisons them with elements of his life activity. If a pest is spotted, the products spoiled by it will have to be thrown away.

Varieties of wood beetles

insects use living trees and wooden buildings not only as a source of food. Their home is also located there; their larvae develop in the thickness of the tree, gnawing what the adult insects did not eat, sometimes causing even more harm. In nature they have natural enemies - birds, ants. And the fight against beetles in a wooden house falls entirely on the shoulders of the owners. To successfully resist pest invasions, you need to know them. The most common types are:

• a grinder, destroying wooden structures from the inside;
• a driller who does not eat wood, but colonizes the mycelium he needs in the drilled holes;
• a weevil that loves damp buildings and wood scraps thrown in the rain without proper protection;
• longhorned woodborers, which prefer coniferous wood, especially bark;
• Pseudobark beetles easily destroy even oak buildings, skillfully hiding in winding passages inside the woody area.

Main classification

All types of grinders can be divided into 2 large groups:

• those that exclusively attack woody plants and building materials, or household ones - furniture grinder, weevil;
• those that damage food supplies - bread, tobacco.

The main damage is no longer caused by adults, but by larvae. It is they who, during their development and before pupation, actively eat various materials and products, thereby causing damage. Adults usually do not live long, their main function is active reproduction.

Reasons for the appearance of beetles in wooden buildings

The main reason remains the use of wood for construction that has not undergone basic treatment with special impregnations against pests or the logs have already been infected with woodworm. Such a house will be constantly under threat of pest invasion. High indoor humidity also attracts unexpected visitors, providing them with excellent living conditions. Sometimes beetles and their larvae enter the house with pieces of furniture.

By maintaining cleanliness, constantly ventilating the house, maintaining an optimal level of humidity and regularly carrying out preventive treatments of wooden surfaces, you can protect the room from woodworms of all types.

Where does he live?

The main pests of forests - bark beetles - can be identified by their main feature - they feed on wood, raise offspring in it, overwinter and spend the main part of their life under the bark of a tree or in its nutritious part.

All types of bark beetles are herbivores. The main part of them are wood-eating insects, for which tree species are their habitat. These are mainly spruce, pine, birch, cedar, and larch trees, the bast tissue of which bark beetles feed on.

There are species of beetles of this subfamily that live in the fruits and seeds of tree species and herbaceous plants. They are usually representatives of tropical species.

The geographic distribution of bark beetles is directly related to the location of the tree species that feed them. Bark beetles live in different territorial zones, with climatic conditions characteristic of these zones. More often these are taiga areas, less often – steppes.