What are powder post beetles?
The larvae of the powder post beetle are c-shaped and grow to ¼ of an inch in length; they are cream-colored. Adult powder post beetles grow to between 1/8th and ¼ of an inch in length; they are a dark reddish-brown to black. Their body is flattened, narrow and elongated in shape; they have six legs and two antennas that end in a 2-segmented club.
Are powder post beetles dangerous?
Powder post beetles can bite people, but this is not a concern since they spend most of their lives hidden inside of wood. While powder post beetles are not dangerous to people, they are dangerous to the structure of your home because of their habit of infesting structural wood. The kind of wood that they infest is species dependent but both hardwoods and softwoods (young or old) can be infested by these pests.