How to get rid of bark beetle in a wooden house

Bark beetle is an insect belonging to the family of beetles, in other words, a bug. By itself, it is very small, many will not even pay attention, not understanding how much such a “bug” can cause. Indeed, this is the main parasite that devours wood. Due to the activity of one of the species, the bark beetle-typographer, large hectares of ancient coniferous forests died in the Moscow region. Moreover, this pest does not shun dead wood, draining the walls of houses and outbuildings.

Do you know such a misfortune? Well, we are sure that you are far from the only person who has encountered her. Therefore, we will learn to exterminate the problem at the root (otherwise it will be too late).

A little about the bark beetle: to know the enemy in person

So, the bark beetle is a rather small bug, the body length of which almost never exceeds 1 cm. The color is usually inconspicuous brown or black, but in some species it is also brighter. By the way, bark beetles are very close relatives of another group of hard-winged pests - weevils.

There is another interesting feature regarding the eating behavior of the parasite. In European territories, these beetles were much less likely to attack deciduous trees. In our country, they prefer conifers. Most often - spruce and pine, less often - larch. But this does not mean that if the house, for example, is made of birch, it automatically falls outside the field of view of the pest. It’s just not going to be eaten as fast as a pine one.

Any kind of bark beetles is dangerous for living wood: those that feed on the stem mass, and those who devour only roots, and those who prefer needles. But for the home, only the first option is scary. Moreover, not only adult beetles will live in the walls, but also their larvae. And since almost the entire life of these insects takes place in the thickness of the wood, where they feed and build extensive passages, very soon the house will simply be exuded from the inside.

First signs: detect enemy penetration

In order to start the fight and conduct it as efficiently as possible, it is necessary to detect the pest at the very beginning of its activity. By themselves, these bugs are very secretive and inconspicuous, you may not pay attention to them. Therefore, it is best to look not for the individuals themselves, but for traces of their parasitic activity.

1. The very first thing that should alert is the appearance on the floor, especially near the skirting boards of the so-called “boring flour”. This is a dry, powdery mass that remains as a result of the life of both adult insects and their larvae. It is a small pile at the inlet through which bark beetles penetrate into the wood, as well as plaque on the floor and walls. If you see such an alarming symptom, carefully inspect the building. It is possible that the moves themselves will show up.
2. Pay attention to the living trees growing near the house. If a bark beetle lives in them, then it can be easily detected by digging out a piece of bark. Under it you will see wide voids - pest nesting places, as well as long narrow passages that it makes while eating. And by the way, the same characteristic yellow dust can also cover the ground on which affected trees grow. Inspect your site, do you have it?
3. Listen for the rustling in the house. Beetles lead a secretive lifestyle, and during the day they are almost inaudible. Another thing is night. Bark beetles make moves in the wood and sharpen it, so you can always hear a characteristic noise.

If, nevertheless, the parasite wound up, dealing with it is very, very difficult.Often even complex efforts do not give the desired result, and you have to give up in this struggle. Prevention is best here, and here's what you need to know about it.

Better to warn than to “heal” a house

If you buy a finished house, be careful in your choice and do not purchase a building that is already affected by the pest. Examine the walls, pay attention to the surface of the wood. Yellow dust, small, sometimes hardly noticeable holes, passages under the bark - all these are very bad signs.

When choosing material for building your own home from scratch, also approach the task with special care. Here's what you need to know:

1. The wetter the wood, the higher the likelihood that a bark beetle will start in it. The fact is that the beetle eats almost the same juices, and it simply spits out the solid substance (it then becomes that very boring dust). So the drier the raw materials, the less likely it is to lose.
2. If you take wood with bark, the risk increases: on its surface it is very difficult to discern traces of adversity. Therefore, look at the ends: there should be nothing at all like rottenness! And even more so, no furrows and grooves.

In addition, even a new house needs to be processed in order to minimize the possibility of bark beetles. For this, special solutions are usually used.

Handling Your Home: Fighting Disaster

And yet, even prevention is not able to 100% destroy the infection. Beetles can come, and then with them you need to start a real war. Otherwise, the house will be completely eradicated. What measures should be:

1. The most radical method is to completely heal or even cut down the affected areas. Use only mechanical tools, because from the electric (such as a grinder) strong vibration rises, spreading the eggs of beetles throughout the room. All garbage, dust, sawdust must be burned.
2. Thoroughly clean all wall surfaces. Caulk - pull and destroy. The ordinary vacuum cleaner will do the job of cleaning the walls perfectly.

And then you need to process the wood. And there are already several options:

1. The simplest is boiling water. But it should be used only if the appearance of the wall does not matter. Brew boiling water and scald it with the entire affected surface, trying to get into the moves. You can use drying oil, also hot, but again, if the interior is not important.
2. There are many special solutions on sale that are designed specifically to eradicate the bark beetle in the house. Use them. But there is also a nuance: usually for such treatment, 2 means are needed, one of which is an antiseptic, and the other is a flame retardant (fire retardant). They are necessarily applied in separate layers, leaving each to dry for 24 hours.
3. A mixture of turpentine and kerosene is an excellent exterminator of adult insects, and larvae and eggs. It was also used by our ancestors. We mix in a ratio of 3: 1 (turpentine and kerosene, respectively) and use a syringe to inject the “treat” directly into the sting passages.

After sanitization, it is necessary to solve another problem - to plug all steps and exits to the pest. For this, sealants are used. For external lesions, those that are made on the basis of silicone are suitable, and for internal lesions - acrylic.

Remember that when buying or building a wooden house yourself, you should be prepared to carefully monitor it and take care of it throughout your stay. A one-time measure will not solve anything. The bark beetle may return. Therefore, do not be irresponsible to prevention, inspect the walls and respond in a timely manner to any alarming symptom. We wish you enjoy a healthy and safe life in a wooden house as long as possible!

Video: how to destroy the bark beetle