Here, we’ll be discussing common wood bugs in furniture.
If you’ve noticed holes in your furniture, it’s time you take a closer look at the problem and find ways to remedy it.
This begins by knowing or identifying common bugs that could cause such damage.
There are multiple wood bugs to look at.
9 Bugs That Live In Wood Furniture
Furniture items can easily get ruined by wood bugs.
The problem starts with wood-boring beetles laying eggs in furniture, which hatch into larvae. Such larvae cause the most issues through their burrowing actions.
No homeowner wants to deal with such a situation. You don’t want your beautiful furniture ruined by bugs.
Tell-Tale Signs of Wood Bugs in Furniture
When it comes to the activities of wood bugs, there are common tell-tale signs to look out for. These signal the presence of bugs within or around furniture.
So, what are they? Common signs of their presence include a flight or escape holes on your furniture. These holes are bored through by mature bugs seeking to leave.
Another sign of their presence includes frass appearing around exit holes.
This resembles wood powder or dust. It doesn’t matter if the furniture is made of hard or softwood. Wood bugs will damage most types.
With these signs of their presence, it’s essential to act fast to save your furniture.
Common Wood Bugs to Look Out For
If you’re noticing activities of wood bugs in your furniture, it’s necessary to act fast.
There are several bugs to watch out for.
They include the deathwatch beetle, common furniture beetle, the powderpost beetle, the ambrosia beetle, and the fan-bearing wood borer.
There’s also the boring wood weevil, park borer, the Asian long-horned beetle, and the house longhorn. Other wood bugs attacking your furniture include the wood wasp and wharf borer.
With these pests mentioned, it’s essential to look at their activity and behavior.
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Deathwatch Beetle
The death watch beetle is among the common wood bugs in furniture.
It’s a bee-like bug with light brown and dark coloring. Asides from timber, the larvae of deathwatch beetles will readily damage furniture.
The mature or adult beetle itself burrows through rotten hardwoods.
One easy way to identify the presence of deathwatch beetles is by looking at the affected wood. You should find holes measuring around 2mm in width.
Holes are filled with frass, and you might be able to hear tapping sounds. Such sounds are invitations to beetles to mate.
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Common Furniture Beetle
The greenish-brown coloration of the common furniture beetle makes it easily identifiable. This beetle creates round tunnels.
Upon closer inspection, you might come across frass in the form of oblong sandy pellets. Common furniture beetles don’t stay indefinitely in a piece of furniture or wood.
They move on to the next furniture to carry out their destructive burrowing activities.
You’ll need to address the problem as soon as possible to avoid more property damage.
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Powderpost Beetle
To identify the powderpost beetle, you’ll have to look out for a bug with a hairy reddish-brown appearance. These pests burrow deep into the wood, with tunnels meeting at different points.
Upon close examination, you will likely find a flour-like frass trail along its paths.
The frass is usually found on tunnel surfaces. The earlier you take action, the better. Any delay will further tunnel your furniture or timber, thus leading to more losses.
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Ambrosia Beetle
The shiny dark-brown appearance of the ambrosia beetle makes it easily distinguishable from the others. This pest attacks hard and softwoods and moves from one freshly cut wood to the next.
Although most of these bugs are found in the forest or wooded areas, they sometimes get into homes to cause significant damage to furniture.
You might have difficulty figuring out signs of ambrosia beetle presence. This is because frass trails are hardly seen, unlike other common bugs.
However, the exit holes used by these bugs are more prominent than others.
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Fan-Bearing Wood Borer
The fan-bearing wood borer gets its name from the fan-like antennae found on its head. This is an unmistakable feature that distinguishes it from other wood bugs.
It has a black-brown coloring and tunnel near the surface of the woods. The good thing about this bug is that it isn’t readily found around residential areas.
Nevertheless, it can do a lot of damage to furniture when exposed to it. Because it tunnels through wood at areas closest to the surface, pulling off tree barks will expose exit holes and sometimes the bug itself.
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Wood-Boring Weevil
The wood-boring weevil is another common furniture bug you might encounter. It has a reddish-brown coloration, with damp or rotten wood being its main attraction.
This gives an idea about ways to prevent it. You might want to have your wood and other wooden furniture away from moisture and dampness.
When inspecting for boring wood weevils, you will likely come across holes measuring 1 cm in diameter. This includes oval frass pellets left behind.
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Bark Borer
The bark borer is a wood bug that could cause many issues or damage. You might find this having a light brown or dark brown appearance.
Bark borers derive their names from their preference for softwoods attached to barks. Tunnels created in wood are often found close to the surface.
Escape or flight holes created by bark borers measure around 2mm in width. These appear rounded in shape.
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Asian Long-Horned Beetle
You’ll find the Asian long-horned beetle with a black and white spot. In terms of size, it’s larger than most of the bugs mentioned.
Hardwoods are targeted mainly by these bugs and can be found in construction timber.
Due to their size, you will likely find larger exit holes measuring around 2cm in diameter. Of course, lots of frass are left behind by these beetles.
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House Longhorn
The house longhorn is a dark brown hairy bug. The problem with these pests is that they target homes to lay eggs in timber and furniture.
Their tunneling activity is quite extensive, with such tunnels filled with frass.
These are some common wood bugs found in furniture and timber.
As discussed, their presence can be damaging when left unchecked. You’ll have to carry out a lot of fixes to remedy the problems caused by them.
Hello! My name is Oluwasegun, and I am the founder of SafeandSanitaryHomes.org.
As a young boy who grew up in the suburbs, my family had a green lawn. I actively cared for this and maintained hedges and trees.
I’ve also grown into a DIY enthusiast for cleaning tasks and home improvements. As an expert animal healthcare provider, I also discuss tips to help you combat pests.
I’m happy to share my experience and hope you find it helpful.