Pest Control CT: The Old House Borer
Pest Control CT: The Old House Borer: These are fairly large beetles with fairly large larvae that tunnel and feed inside wood. Compared to powderpost beetles that also feed in wood in CT, the old house borer leaves a large, oval exit hole (more than 1/4 inch diameter) when it emerges from the wood.
The adult beetle belongs to the “longhorned beetle” group, so called because of their long antennae. The old house borer is gray-brown with light gray hairs on its body, except for two shiny raised areas on its thorax, and is about one inch long. Adult beetles emerge from the exit holes in wood in July and August and may make their way to nearby windows or lights. It’s the beetle larvae, though, that do the feeding damage.
