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. 
