Got a call from a home owner that put in new hard wood flooring a year ago.
this week out comes wood boring beetles all over the place. the flooring company told the owner to go jump in a lake. this flooring has a lot of holes in it just a mess. the cost to fumigate the home $ 6K replacement of the damage flooring another 4K I have been seeing more and more hard wood flooring and new furnishing with beetles this past year. Cosco sent me out on one inspection to look at a desk that the was from a company in So.Calif that was ship in from China. just full of beetles. Cosco. was fast to act and to provide the people with a new desk. Im going to be checking all hard wood flooring just a bit closer.

This home owner will be after this flooring company.

Best

Ron

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The pest companies I have talked to say there is no sure way to get rid of them except remove the flooring. Can anybody confirm this?

Fumigation is the only treatment for drywood termites and wood boring beetles that effectively penetrates the entire structure in one application. It can completely eliminate termites and beetles, even in areas not accessible for spot treatments.
The effectiveness of gas fumigation is confirmed by more than 30 years of university research, practical use and published reports.

Best

Ron

I'm sure we're probably talking about powder post beetles. You could treat the wood with some borates, but the damage is done.

We usually tell our clients to tear out all the wood instead of spending the money on treatments.

If properly fumigated with methyl bromide, you could probably get rid of the problem.

Most of the wood I've seen infested has been some type of ash type material.

rick

Here we go...

Attached Images

Timbor%20Pic.jpg (48.4 KB, 43 views)

Powder Post beetles can only be killed by heat that is the only way to kill the larva which is done with the drying process. All the wood must be removed and kiln dried to guarantee Powderpost Beetles | University of Kentucky Entomology

Control of Anobiid, Bostrichid and lyctid powderpost Beetles and old house borers. if I see an infestation of beetles. for me its a fumigation. Then we can talk about wood repairs. In calif. the libility can be to much. as the cost of a fumigation on this home 6K Plus. if you miss an adjacent area that is infested and only deal with what you can see. O-BOY That a mess i dont want to deal with. Its been my company policy for some 30 years to fumigate all beetle infestation.

Best

Ron

Tony M.

You need to re-read the article you posted.

rick

Rick,

Tony stating that is like Don stating (on the other thread regarding garage/house separation) that 20 minute doors are "required" simply because that is *one of the options listed*.

Hopefully you have better communication skills with Tony than I have had with Don, I have not yet been able to get Don to see his error.

I am beginning to presume the problem with Don "not getting it" is because I have not been able to communicate to his understanding.

__________________
Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

I didn't even see TM's claim about kiln-dried wood, etc. listed as an option. I guess my eyesight is failing.

John,

Did you see the part in the article from the university about the best trucks of 2009?

rick

Tony look up ( Methyl Bromide ) or ( Vikane® gas fumigant )

Best

Ron

When I worked for Orkin in Houston TX from 1981-1983 selling termite control this is what we used for fumigation's. We "tented" about 2 homes a week out of the branch office that I worked in. Mostly for drywoods and beetles, every now and then for rats and other pest when they were really bad. The beetles were almost always brought in with furniture. It is a gas that will kill anything and everything. Even kills house plants, gold fish, fluffy the cat, it also will tarnish silver. That's another story about a home in River Oaks owned by a Mr. Allbritton!

We also fumigated containers of wood items at the port of Houston.

__________________
Scott Patterson
Spring Hill, TN
http://www.traceinspections.com

John,

I assumed (silly of me, I know) that Tony was referencing this part "Since wood moisture levels below 13%" and turning that into "kiln dried".

Maybe that is because I have been conversing with Don about the same type of "distance thinking" (new term I am inventing here, adapting "distance learning" to be applicable to this) in trying to connect to unrelated thoughts as being the same thought.

__________________
Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

Hey Ron,

I thought use of methyl bromide was not allowed in CA except if the building was well away from other buildings or the property line.

__________________
The apostrophe troll.

You know Gunnar you got me on that one. I dont do Fume as a prime contractor. I have the owner contract with the fume company.

Its been 8 years that i did a fume as the prime.

Vikane® is the norm in our neck of the wood. Thats why the cost is so much these days. but Methyl Bromide is still used by some.

( ITS TAST GOOD ON CORN FLAKES )

Best

Ron

Jerry's opinions should remain with Jerry and any further posting with reference to my name should not be made. Jerry feels that he knows everything and is the final say on an international model. The reason that so many states take different stances on that code is due to contractor arrogance that is evident in Jerry's interpretation. Oh yes Jerry, interpretation. You can't make me see what you see due to it being wrong. That code is a minimum standard that was created to have a separation between living space and an area designed to many times store fuels chemical, and machines also having stored fuel and chemicals. Thusly bud, a fire separation is required! Dream whatever dream you need to make you feel you are right, but again, I am done trying to explain a simple concept to you. Leave my name out of your further postings or I will reflect on your arrogance and ignorance in my postings. Alright>? Sry guys that this post doesn't relate to the topic, just don't appreciate Jerry's speaking out of his back end again.

WHAT THE ?

Ron

Actual picture of beatles on hardwood flooring.

Attached Images

beatles in the floor.jpg (130.2 KB, 34 views)

.
Don,

I think the key is Living space not attic space.

Other wise gable & soffit vents entering the attic space would require a fire separation ?

__________________
It Might have Choked Artie But it ain't gone'a choke Stymie!
Billy J. Stephens HI Service
Memphis TN.