A Historical Structure Was Saved From A Powderpost Beetles Despite Half The House Being Infested, But Are The Wood-Boring Beetles A Threat To Your Home?

Not long ago the Jekyll Island Authority relocated the historic Skeet House to Pier Road in the Jekyll Island Historic District. The structure was formerly located near a wooded area near the Jekyll Island Airport where it had become infested with wood-boring powderpost beetles. The structure, which was originally built in 1930, was once a beloved clubhouse where members of the Jekyll Island Club practiced skeet shooting. Although the house has not served this purpose for decades, residents have not forgotten about the structure’s historical significance. Although the house’s original location near a wooded area made it prone to powderpost beetle infestations, the destructive insects are active within urban and residential areas of Georgia as well. The three most damaging groups of powderpost beetles are abundant in Georgia and other southeastern states, and although these insects do not damage structural wood as frequently as termites in Georgia, infestations are by no means rare in the state, and the damage they cause can be costly to repair.

Powderpost beetles damage both structural wood within homes and buildings as well as natural wood sources, including living trees. In fact, powderpost beetles have been in the news lately for damaging trees located within residential yards in Georgia. Pest control professionals in Georgia have not seen such widespread powderpost beetle damage to trees in the state before this spring season, and the damage is extensive enough to pose a threat to residents. This is because the trees are likely to fall, potentially causing serious injury, or even death, and some living trees have already succumbed to powderpost beetle damage.

In addition to infesting and destroying structural wood and living trees, powderpost beetles also infest furniture items. In many cases, powderpost beetle damage within homes is limited to single pieces of structural lumber or localized areas of hardwood flooring. Damage of this sort can be corrected by replacing damaged wood with new sources of wood, but infestations can also become extensive, requiring thorough and substantial renovations. Luckily, pest controllers in Georgia make a point to pinpoint wood-boring beetle damage in addition to termite damage.

Have you ever encountered a tree that had fallen over as a result of a pest infestation?