Wood-Boring Beetle Remediation

Complete Elimination of Wood Destroying Beetles and Damaged Wood From Your Home

Get a Reno's wood boring beetle remediation service eliminates active infestations and their larvae from structural wood, hardwood flooring, exposed beams, and other wooden structures. The service covers inspection, species-specific treatment, and a 5-year protection guarantee against reinfestation. If you're finding exit holes, powdery frass, or hearing clicking sounds inside your walls, this service stops the damage and prevents future infestations.

Why You'll Love Our Wood Boring Beetle Remediation

• Complete Elimination – Get a Reno's treatments reach beetle larvae feed zones deep inside infested wood, not just adult beetles on surfaces. Heat treatment requires wood to reach 132–140°F for 30 minutes, killing all life stages. This is especially useful for severe infestations before extensive damage develops.

• Structural Protection – Powderpost beetles can damage hardwoods like oak and walnut, and weakened wood may feel soft or hollow due to beetle damage. Get a Reno identifies and reinforces compromised structural elements before they fail.

• Prevention That Lasts – Each treatment includes moisture management guidance and surface sealing to protect wood and make beetles less likely to infest dry wood. Maintaining wood moisture levels below 15% can deter wood-boring beetles from returning.

• Safe Methods – Get a Reno uses borate-based solutions and controlled heat applications rather than broad-spectrum chemicals. Sodium borate insecticides penetrate wood to kill beetle larvae while remaining low-risk for families and pets.

• Guaranteed Results – Every remediation comes with Get a Reno's 5-year warranty covering re-treatment if beetles return during the guarantee period.

What Makes Get a Reno's Approach Different

Most pest control companies apply surface insecticide treatments. These products kill adult beetles emerging from wood surfaces but do not reach larvae tunneling inches below the surface. That means the infestation continues for months or years after treatment, with new round exit holes appearing each season. Some species can re-infest treated areas when the original method only kills adults.

Get a Reno's remediation works differently in three specific ways:

• Penetrating treatment application – Borate-based solutions penetrate unfinished wood and kill beetle larvae inside structural timbers, door frames, and wood paneling. Surface insecticide treatments are best for powderpost beetles and unfinished wood, while Get a Reno's heat treatment option raises internal wood temperatures to lethal levels for all species, including deathwatch beetles and false powderpost beetles.

• Species-level inspection – Remediating wood-boring beetles depends on the specific type and extent of damage. Get a Reno technicians identify beetles using frass texture, exit hole diameter (wood-boring beetles create exit holes 1/16 to 1/4 inch in diameter), and wood type, and only a few species commonly infest structural or stored wood, to determine exact treatment protocols. Lyctids require different approaches from other powderpost beetles because true powderpost beetles differ in egg-laying depth and wood preference from look-alike species.

• Structural preservation – Rather than defaulting to full replacement, Get a Reno assesses which infested structural wood can be treated in place and which damaged wood needs reinforcement. Reinforcing or replacing badly damaged wood is often a reliable solution for infestations, but Get a Reno uses this as a last measure after evaluating whether treatment alone will restore structural integrity. Remediation decisions change depending on when the infestation occurs and how far damage has progressed.

How Our Wood Boring Beetle Remediation Works

1. Inspection and Species Identification A Get a Reno technician examines all accessible wood surfaces, crawl spaces, attic framing, and structural components using moisture meters and magnification tools. Visual inspection for fresh frass and exit holes helps confirm active infestations. Powderpost beetles produce fine, flour-like frass from wood, while deathwatch beetles leave pelletized debris. Clicking sounds may indicate wood-boring beetles inside wood. The inspection determines whether the infestation is localized or has spread to multiple structural areas. Correct identification also rules out lookalikes such as cigarette beetles and drugstore and cigarette beetles that infest stored products rather than wood.

2. Targeted Treatment Based on the species identified and the extent of beetle damage, Get a Reno applies one or more treatment methods. For accessible infested areas with unfinished wood, borate-based solutions penetrate the wood and eliminate larvae. For movable wooden articles and wood furniture, heat treatment can effectively eliminate beetles by raising temperatures to 132–140°F for 30 minutes. Fumigation is effective for severe and inaccessible infestations of wood-boring beetles when other methods cannot reach hidden galleries. Get a Reno also seals finished wood surfaces with protective coatings to protect wood by blocking adult beetles from laying eggs, while borates are used where unfinished wood needs penetration.

3. Prevention and Monitoring After treatment, Get a Reno addresses the conditions that allowed the infestation to occur. This includes moisture reduction in crawl spaces, ventilation improvements, and sealing exposed wood. Many wood-boring beetles thrive in high-humidity environments, and deathwatch beetles prefer wood with over 14% moisture content. Wood from declining trees can also introduce beetles into homes through furniture, trim, or other wood products if it is not properly treated. Get a Reno schedules follow-up inspections during the expected emergence period for the identified species, since some beetle life cycle timelines span several years.

Service Details

• Treatment Methods: Borate penetrating solutions, controlled heat treatment (132–140°F core temperature for 30 minutes minimum), surface residual insecticides for finished wood, and tent fumigation for severe cases

• Coverage Area: All structural wood including hidden areas, crawl spaces, attic framing, subfloor joists, wood paneling, hardwood flooring, and exposed beams

• Timeline: Initial treatment completed in 1–2 days depending on infestation severity and home size; follow-up inspections scheduled at 6 and 12 months

• Included Services: Full inspection with species identification, treatment application, moisture assessment, structural integrity evaluation, and post-treatment monitoring

• Warranty: Get a Reno provides a 5-year protection guarantee against reinfestation, including re-treatment at no additional cost

• Contact: Call (929) 294-7360 or email support@getareno.com for scheduling

Who Our Wood Boring Beetle Infestation Remediation Is For

This service is built for:

• Homeowners discovering small exit holes (1/16 to 1/4 inch wide), powdery dust near baseboards, or weakened wood in structural elements

• Property owners with homes containing hardwood flooring, exposed beams, vintage woodwork, or other commonly infested wood products; powderpost beetles prefer seasoned hardwoods, while certain species like ambrosia beetles and the southern lyctus beetle or western lyctus beetle target specific wood types. Adult powderpost beetles are a common concern in seasoned hardwood products because they lay eggs on exposed wood surfaces.

• Anyone who has treated beetle infestations before and seen beetles emerging again; recurring infestations often mean the original treatment failed to reach larvae deep inside the wood

• Owners of older homes where moist wood in crawl spaces, damp wood around plumbing, or infested firewood storage can attract wood beetles around the home

• Commercial property managers with structural timbers, wood furniture, or wood products at risk

Get a Reno serves both residential and commercial properties. If you've found signs of wood boring beetle damage, call (929) 294-7360 for a free inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I have wood boring beetles? Look for three indicators. First, small exit holes or emergence holes in wood surfaces; adult wood-boring beetles are typically 2 to 7 millimeters long and leave round exit holes when they emerge. Second, frass from wood-boring beetles resembles fine, powdery dust, often accumulating below infested areas. Third, clicking sounds inside walls, beams, or flooring can indicate active larvae. Get a Reno's inspection confirms whether the infestation is active or old.

Will the treatment damage my wood or furniture? Borate solutions applied to unfinished wood absorb without altering appearance. Heat treatment at 132–140°F for 30 minutes eliminates beetles without charring or chemically altering the wood. Get a Reno evaluates finished wood, picture frames, and other wooden articles before treatment to select the method that preserves surfaces. For certain species infesting finished wood or dry wood, targeted approaches avoid the need for broad chemical application.

How long does remediation take? Most homes are treated in 1–2 days. Kiln drying lumber at 133°F for 30 minutes kills beetle infestations in individual wood products, while whole-structure heat treatment of infested structural wood takes longer due to the time needed for thick timbers to reach core temperature. Freezing infested wood at 0°F for 72 hours kills beetles in smaller pieces. Get a Reno schedules follow-up visits based on the identified species' life cycle.

Do you guarantee the beetles won't come back? Get a Reno's 5-year warranty covers reinfestation. If wood boring beetles return during the warranty period, Get a Reno re-treats at no cost. The warranty is backed by ongoing prevention measures: seal wood surfaces with paint or varnish to prevent beetle egg-laying, remove dead tree limbs around buildings to prevent infestations, limit firewood to what you will burn in one day to prevent infestations, and inspect furniture for beetles before bringing it into your home.

What happens if treatment doesn't work? Get a Reno re-inspects and re-treats under the warranty. If the initial method did not reach all infested areas, Get a Reno escalates to deeper-penetrating options. Fumigation can penetrate inaccessible wood but does not provide lasting protection against reinfestation, so Get a Reno pairs fumigation with borate application and moisture control to prevent beetles from returning. Treating unfinished wood with appropriate chemicals can provide residual protection against infestations, and Get a Reno ensures every accessible surface receives this layer of defense.

For questions or to schedule your free inspection, call (929) 294-7360 or email support@getareno.com.

Ready to Protect Your Home?

Wood boring beetles work silently. By the time you see exit holes or powdery frass, larvae have been tunneling through your structural wood for months or years, and ongoing tunneling can lead to extensive damage if active infestations are left untreated. Some wood beetles can re-infest vulnerable wood if conditions remain favorable, causing damage to douglas fir, oak, and other structural timbers to compound over time.

Get a Reno's wood boring beetle remediation eliminates active infestations, treats infested wood to prevent re-emergence, and includes a 5-year guarantee. Every service begins with a free inspection.

Call (929) 294-7360 today to schedule your free inspection, or email support@getareno.com. Visit www.getareno.com to learn more about Get a Reno's home repair and renovation services.

Stop the damage before it spreads. Get a Reno protects the wood your home depends on.