Boring pests can attack a wide range of wood products. They have been found to infest living trees, freshly felled timber, dry seasoned wood, wood flooring, structural timbers and wood furniture. Due to their widespread ability to cause infestation, they present a major pest problem both to natural areas as well as residential and commercial premises.

Borers can be identified by pest control professionals due to the size of the exit holes as well as the texture of the dust they produce.

Species in Australia
Borers tend to be common in Australia, particularly in areas where homes are constructed of pre-fab timbers. A number of different species exist in the area; ranging from the European house borer to the Queensland Pine Beetle. Borers are also commonly found in homes featuring pine floorboards.

Life Cycle
During the life cycle, the adult female borer will lay her eggs within timbers which are susceptible to the population. The eggs will then hatch into grub or larvae at which point they will feed upon the starch content of the timber. The larvae will commonly eat along the timber grain, resulting in a network of tunnels. After the larvae are fully grown, it will then morph into the pupa stage. This may take an extended period of time; however, when this cycle is complete the adult borer will exit the timber through a hole that has been made in the surface. Emerging females will lay eggs and the life cycle will go on, intensifying both damage and infestation.

Health Hazards to Humans
In most cases, inhabitants do not realize they have a problem with boring pests until they actually find the bugs. This may typically occur while cleaning out the garage or storage area or during the course of remodeling. Unfortunately, by the time the problem is discovered, there may already be a serious infestation underway.

Boring insects can easily chew their way through a home or building, causing damage that may be irreparable. Signs of damage resulting from boring pests can take one to three years to show up, depending on the location of the infestation. While a common misconception exists that having a concrete slab beneath a house of building will offer protection from boring pests, this is not always the case. Some varieties of boring insects can actually make their way through hairline cracks which may be present in the cement and then on into the timbers of the building.

Prevention
Once boring pests have infested a home or building it is virtually impossible to eradicate them on your own. A pest control professional should be brought in to assess the situation and determine what steps should be taken to eradicate the infestation. The location of the infestation as well as the severity may help to determine the exact course of action which must be taken to bring the infestation under control.

In some cases, particularly if tenting the building is required, the homeowners may be required to evacuate the facility for a few days time in order to allow the gas to dissipate from the structure. Tenting is most frequently required to combat drywood borers; a species which can be sensitive to fumigation.

Spot treatments may be necessary; however, to treat subterranean borers. This type of species live underground, meaning tenting is usually ineffective.

Pest control experts indicate that it is actually almost impossible to prevent an infestation of boring insects in your home or building. Setting up a regular routine to have your home or building inspected every two to three years in order to catch infestations early is a good strategy to avoid severe infestations.