In this article, I’ll be giving you tips on how to get rid of furniture beetles.

Furniture Beetles, also known as wood-boring beetles, are a “pain in the neck” for many homeowners. They bore holes into your wooden structures and can cause damage worth thousands of Dollars.

If you’ve noticed these beetles in furniture or their activities around your home, then I’m sure you’re more than eager to get rid of them.

Keep reading!

About Furniture Beetles

Adult furniture Beetles lay their eggs inside cracks within wood or timber. When the eggs are hatched, the young ones feast on the wood until it reaches their mature stage.

These bugs belong to the large family of Powderpost Beetles, and the young do the damage to the wood, not the adults.

They are attracted to all kinds of wooden structures, especially if they are damp, and they chew through both hardwood and softwood.

Since they lay their eggs inside wooden cracks, they may have entered your home as you were bringing some new furniture inside.

SEE: How Woodworms Spread

You can tell they are around when you spot tiny holes on the body of your wooden structures. Grains of sawdust piled up around wooden frames also signify they are around.

How To Get Rid Of Common Furniture Beetles

To get rid of these destructive pests, follow the tips I will list below.

  • Do Not Ignore The Signs

As I mentioned, young furniture beetles are experts at chewing away wooden structures, and these tiny peats do not clean up their mess. This means that you will notice piles of wood dust are infested wood.

If you ever come across this, you can be sure you have a furniture beetle infestation on your hands. Keep in mind that these bugs don’t attack chairs and tables alone. They can also do damage to door and window posts.

Do not ignore these signs if you notice them. Instead, go around your home and look for other areas where they might be active.

  • Take Out Infested Furniture

Take out any chairs, tables, or cabinets that the furniture bugs have already infested.

By doing so, you have already reduced the number of the ones in your home, and you can concentrate your disinfestation on the immovable structures like the door and window post.

You can attend to the furniture you took outside after you are done with the bugs in the house.

  • Use Chemical-Based Pesticides

Furniture Beetles are tough little guys, so a chemical-based pesticide isn’t wrong. You can go to a pest control store to buy a strong enough to kill the bugs and their eggs.

When you get the pesticide, put on a facemask and gloves before you start applying. These should protect you from inhaling or touching the pesticide.

Also, remember to keep chemical-based pesticides away from the reach of children and pets. They may ingest it by mistake if they come in contact with it.

Now go to as many infested areas as you can find. These should be the spots where you find wood dust or hollow wood. Apply the chemical-based pesticide into the holes and around the floors.

You should also go anywhere there might be damp wood, such as your kitchen area, and apply the pesticide.

Most chemical-based pesticides will kill the furniture bugs minutes after they contact it.

Remember to keep your doors closed and restrict access to the rooms where the pesticide has been applied.

A potent pesticide will not only kill the furniture beetles, but it will also kill their eggs as well.

  • Use Diatomaceous Earth

For a more non-toxic approach, Using Diatomaceous Earth can help you handle the furniture bug infestation in your home.

Sprinkle the powder over affected areas around the house and kill the beetles when they contact it.

Due to the nature of the furniture beetle’s eggs, the powder may not kill them immediately. But you can reapply the D.E the following day and the day after that to make sure all the adult beetles and their eggs are dead.

  • Dehumidify Your Home

Furniture Beetles do not only love wood, but they also prefer moist wood, and they love humid conditions.

A simple means by which you can get them to leave is by dehumidifying your home. The less humidity there is around your home, the fewer furniture beetles you will find.

This is not the most effective means of removing furniture beetles since it takes too much time, but it works well as a complementary measure.

You can open the windows and turn on your fans to increase airflow and reduce moisture.

  • Use A Garlic-Based Pesticide

A garlic-based pesticide is one of the surest natural means by which you can kill furniture beetles.

Garlic has many human health benefits but is offensive and hazardous to most insect pests. Garlic is also non-toxic, so a garlic-based pesticide is an excellent recommendation, especially in a home with kids and pets.

Great news, you can make a garlic-based pesticide right within the comfort of your home.

All you’ll need is some garlic, water, and a spray bottle. If you want to spice things up, you could get some chili and throw it into the mix. Garlic powder can also work, but raw garlic has proven more effective.

Here’s what you should do.

Place the adequate amount of garlic cloves in a container and crush it into a paste. You could also put the garlic in a blender and grind it.

Add a quart of water into the container and stir until it is well blended. You can get a few chilies, grind them, and add them to the container.

Mix them all and let them sit overnight.

The next day, grab a spray bottle and fill it with the garlic solution. Shake it thoroughly, and you are ready to spray.

Visit every area of your home where the furniture beetles are most active, including structures that have damp wood. Spray the garlic/chili solution into all the holes they have bored and into the cracks and crevices.

The scent of the garlic is so strong that it will irritate and kill the furniture wood bugs. The effects of the chili will also spice things up with a burning sensation and make life unbearable for the furniture beetles.

Garlic-based Insecticide spray kills adult male and female furniture pests, but it may not harm their eggs if the concentration is not high enough.

  • Call A Pest Control Service

If you have ignored the furniture beetle infestation for some time and it has gotten horrible, then the next best move is to get in touch with a professional pest control service.

Upon arriving at your home, they will take a detailed look around the wooden structures you have, assess the damage the beetles have done, and decide on how best to treat the infestation.

If the infestation is terrible, then you and your family may be asked to leave your home for a few days while they begin disinfecting.

This service will cost you a lot of money since you’re dealing with professionals who use pro-grade pesticides and disinfestation techniques.

If you don’t know where to find a professional extermination service, you can simply go online and find the ones closest to you. Compare quotes so you can get the best deal.

Also, some extermination services are not as good as they claim to be, so be sure you make a full payment only after you are sure all the furniture beetles have been removed from your home.

How To Prevent Furniture Beetles From Returning

After taking care of your furniture beetle infestation, the next logical step is to ensure they never return.

You can take some preventive measures to ensure these annoying bugs do not pay you another visit.

These include –

  • Keep Your Wood Dry At All Times

Since you understand that furniture beetles love damp wood, then keeping your wood dry should be a no-brainer.

If there is any leaking pipe in your kitchen that could dampen the cabinet, get it fixed as soon as possible.

You can also leave your windows open more often to maintain good airflow. This will help dehumidify your wooden structures, making furniture beetles less attractive.

  • Treat Your Wood

Many wood treatments contain pest repellants that you can use on your furniture.

Furniture Beetles will not come close to any wooden structure treated with such repellants.

You can treat your old, untreated furniture and ensure any new piece of furniture you’re purchasing has also been treated.

Conclusion

I trust this article on how to get rid of furniture beetles has been helpful.

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