122 THE POWDER POST BEETLE 



Each female deposits many eggs, and a number will 

 attack a single piece of furniture. The numerous 

 progeny making their winding burrows through the 

 wood completely destroy the interior fibre, reducing 

 it to a mass of fine powder. If the destruction is not 

 accomplished by the first attack, the process is con- 

 tinued by subsequent generations until a thin outer 

 shell is the only solid fibre remaining. The drier and 

 older the wood the more attractive does it become, 

 and the beetle has a special fondness for floors, 

 joists, frames, and material that has lain undisturbed 

 for several years. Steaming, dry heat, and a liberal 

 application of kerosene or benzine are among the 

 recommended methods of destruction. Sap wood 

 should be rejected for all purposes, and all wood in 

 which the pest has found a lodgment should be 

 destroyed. Carriage woodwork and antique furniture 

 frequently suffer. Look for the light brown, mealy 

 powder and the pin-holes. They are signs which 

 reveal one of the wonderful concentrations of 

 destructive power in the insect world. 



