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Wood Damaging Insect Identification

- Insects cause damage in a variety of ways -

Summary: Insects damage wood and other building materials in many different ways. Termites, carpenter ants and several "powderpost" beetles are the most important. See this reference table for a list of these and other, minor, pests.

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)
Fortunately, relatively few insects actually damage wood. Termites (both subterranean and drywood), carpenter ants and powderpost beetles are the primary wood destroying insects. The potential for damage from any of these insects varies by region.

Termites tend to be of more concern in warm climates whereas carpenter ants tend to be more important in cooler climates. Wood-boring powderpost beetles damage structural wood mostly in coastal climates. Powderpost beetles can, however, damage hardwoods, like flooring, in any climate.

There are also a number of minor wood damaging insects that may do significant cosmetic damage but rarely impact wood's structural integrity. The table below lists all these insects and their potential for damage.

Wood-Damaging Insects reference table

Click the image (left) or the link below to download the complete table. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader, or equivalent, to open it.

Wood Damaging Insects (pdf file) Reference table of the common wood damaging insects.

Since no single table or webpage can cover this topic completely you may want a more comprehensive reference. I'd suggest: Handbook of Pest Control: The Behavior, Life History, and Control of Household Pests (right) as your first choice for these questions.

We also offer pest control advice and consulting for wood-destoring insects by e-mail. Please see our consulting page for details.

The Pest Management Store

Identification guides, reference and gardening books, etc.

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Mission: To provide accurate, up-to-date and unbiased information for solving common insect and mite problems around your home, business and landscape using least-toxic methods.

Jack DeAngelis, Ph.D.

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