21-1: Journal of AgriciiUtire. Victoria. [10 Apkil, 1918. 



FURNITURE AND TIMBER BORING INSECTS. 



C. French, Jiinr., Governnient Entomologisi. 



From the many reports and inquiries that have been made during 

 the last few years, it is evident that householders throughout Victoria 

 are suffering very considerably from the depredations made upon their 

 valuable and useful furniture and objects of domestic use by the insects 

 well known as " wood-borers.". These ipests often commit great destruc- 

 tion in the beams and other wood-work used in the frame-work of houses, 

 as well as in floorings and articles of furniture, producing the result 

 known as " worm-eaten." The external indications of the presence of 

 these destructive insects are usually twofold — small circular perforations 

 in the surface of the wood, and little heaps of yellow dust on the ground 

 beneath. The perforations are the entrances to, or rather exits from, 

 long cylindrical tunnels traversing the timber in various directions, 

 generally in that of its length, and they are often so numerous as to 

 leave only the narrowest of [partitions between the tunnels, and thus 

 reduce the whole interior to a mere net-work, so fragile that it will- 

 crumble away on the slightest touch, though to outward appearances 

 the wood seems perfectly sound, except for the few perforations. The 

 beetles are not very often seen, as they spend a large proportion of their 

 lives in their burrows, and, like white ants, prefer to work in the dark. 

 During the course of their lives they undergo metamorphosis, i.e., 

 change of form. First of all is the egg, secondly the larva, grub, or 

 caterpillar, thirdly the chrysalis or pupa, and fourthly the perfect insect 

 or imago. 



The chief timber-boring insect of the whole variety is the Furniture 

 or Powder-post Beetle {Lyctus hrunneus, Stephens). This small beetle, 

 which is dark-brown and sometimes almost black in colour, measures 

 2 lines in length, and, unfortunately, is too well known to timber mer- 

 chants, architects, builders, householders, and furniture manufacturers 

 to need much description. 



The female deposits her eggs on the outside, underside, and ends of 

 the timber. They hatch very quickly, and the larvae at once commence 

 to work into the wood. The beetles are easily detected, for they and 

 their larvae feed on the timber, and some of the sawdust, which is passed 

 through them, can usually be seen collected in small heaps. It is not 

 always possible to detect them before the damage is done, as sometimes 

 they commence boring underneath the boards, joists, and other timbers 

 of buildings, and thus their presence is not suspected until the timlber 

 begins to fall to pieces. It is difficult to say with accuracy how many 

 broods of these " wood-borers " are hatched in a year, but from my 

 experience I should say that there are four. However, careful con- 

 sideration will have to be given to this matter, before it can be definitely 

 settled. The perfect insects are found in the timber all the year round. 

 Occasionally in hot weather they may be seen emerging in large numbers 

 from wickerwork and rattan furniture, and thence transferring their 

 attention to any kind of timber that is handy. The backs of book-cases, 

 cupboards, and the inside woodwork of pianos are particularly liable 

 to attack, and ordinary table legs and wickerwork furniture seem to be 

 among their favourite breeding places. Should they be noticed in num- 

 bers on the curtains and blinds of houses, it would be advisable, before 



