What’s Eating The Deck?
If you have a wooden deck that is treated or untreated, you might notice some finger-sized holes in the post or boards. You might also notice a crazy, twisted indentation that looks as though someone took a creative approach to using a router on your deck. Both types of damage are common, but they are not caused by the same creature. So, what is eating your deck?
Holes in The Posts and Boards
Insects such as termites come to mind, but a hole that is about the size of an adult finger is most likely caused by carpenter bees. These are semi-social bees that create a gallery (home to rear young) in dead wood. They prefer trees that have died but not yet fallen, which are not the best things to have around your home.
Carpenter ants are another possibility and you can often tell carpenter ants from termites because carpenter ants do not eat wood. They simple excavate wood by gnawing on it and then removing the debris. A good way to check is to look for little bits of sawdust around the damage. What you find if there are termites is not sawdust, but little round balls or grains of wood – Termite poop. Termites eat wood.
Chaotic Router Lines
These often appear after you have installed the deck posts or boards and usually the following spring. They are caused by a wood boring beetle and they can be as wide as an inch or as small as a pencil lead. Generally, the beetle larvae are already in the wood when you buy it and it hatches the following spring. These are the same types of beetles that kill trees.
If something is eating your deck, give us a call. We provide complete pest control service including the control of carpenter bees, carpenter ants, termites, and beetles throughout the Bryan and College Station area. Fast, reliable, licensed, and comprehensive – Same day appointments available.
