Furniture grinder, what an insect looks like and what is dangerous

Over time, wood tends to be exposed to the environment: untreated parts of the furniture are affected by sunlight, indoor climate and humidity. One of the unpleasant parasites that worsen the appearance and quality of furniture is the furniture grinder bug, which can create a lot of problems. In order to overcome an insect during time, it is necessary to understand how it looks, how it appears and what is dangerous for humans. Effective methods of combating the parasite will help preserve furniture for many years.

What does it look like

Furniture grinder is commonly referred to as a species of beetles belonging to the family of wood parasites. The larva of this insect is able to make channels in furniture, as well as eat wood. A furniture beetle damages not only your favorite headsets, tables and chairs: it can be easily found on the surface of window frames, floors, ceiling beams, wooden window sills and log walls.

The main goal of adults is reproduction. They practically do not need food.

Furniture grinder is considered one of the most common guests of houses made of wood. To start the fight with the enemy, you need to know what he looks like. The main danger is not an adult, but its larva. Below is a description of the appearance of the pest:

grinder belongs to a series of beetles. The larva of this parasite has developed legs, the ends of which are equipped with two brushes. With these devices, she has come a long way inside furniture;
the body shape of the larva is curved, similar to an arc. The body is light in color, closer to white, and the head is large in size. The top of the head is covered with red hairs;
the body of an adult is dark, closer to brown or black. Its sizes are from 2 to 5 mm. Under favorable living conditions and adequate nutrition, one individual is able to breed huge offspring in one year. The offspring consists of several generations of parasites, so timely detection is extremely important for the safety of furniture;
on the surface of the elytra, the grinder has characteristic bands composed of multiple points. The size of the beetle larva is up to 6 mm long; they develop where the female lays an egg;
reproduction takes place in a dark inaccessible place - a furniture hole with a diameter of up to 2 mm, which the female made.

Now, knowing what the bug looks like, you can easily determine where the grinder lives. The photos of individuals are presented in this material. Detected pests should be removed immediately.

Where does it come from

Many owners of wooden furniture wonder in surprise where the parasites come from, because getting into the house is not easy, and the furniture purchased was perfectly clean and smooth. It is worth noting that beetles show their activity exclusively at night, because they are fearful insects and they can hardly be seen during the day.

Catching a furniture grinder is very difficult: as soon as an individual foresees danger, it turns over on its back and lifts up its paws. So the parasite pretends to be dead.

It is known that grinders live in almost any house, but especially like wooden dwellings. The risk that a furniture grinder has settled in the house is much higher if the house is completely built of wood. With the onset of spring heat, the female beetle begins to lay eggs, from which larvae come out, significantly spoiling the life of the owners of the house.

A favorite habitat for a furniture grinder is a house with a lot of wooden structures.

The larvae immediately begin to eat wood - furniture. They gnaw holes and make long moves, randomly moving. By their appearance, they cause great damage to the property of the apartment. The life cycle of one individual larva is from 1 to 3 years. At the same time, in winter they fall into suspended animation so that in the summer they will again return to active movement.

If the room is well heated, then the larva continues to live in the winter: temperature drops are harmful to it. With stable humidity indicators, individuals continue to devour furniture in large quantities. In the process of development, the larvae become pupae, which later become adult bugs aimed only at breeding.

Furniture bugs do not start in the following places:

painted wood;
lacquered furniture;
in a clean and dry room;
items of furniture affected by other parasites.

To check whether the furniture is subject to restoration, it is necessary to take a screwdriver and slightly pierce the area in an inconspicuous place: if the wood turns out to be dense and solid - the furniture can be saved by processing with special compounds.

Immediately after the birth of the larvae begin to eat wood

What are the signs

To determine that a furniture grinder has settled down at home is not difficult. This insect has characteristic principles of behavior that will immediately indicate to the owners a possible danger. Signs by which you can identify the pest:

characteristic sounds - in the process of feeding the beetle is able to make a certain sound, reminiscent of the ticking of a clock. This is a monotonous tapping with a worked out rhythm and a series of repetitions, which can be easily heard with complete silence. Such a sound is obtained when the male’s head hits the walls of a dug hole in furniture. Such a ritual is carried out to attract a female who can give generous offspring;
round holes in furniture with a diameter of 1-2 mm. Moreover, if there are no holes, it does not mean that there is no bug. Then you need to get close to the furniture and listen to it inside;
traces of the life of insects. After itself, the parasite can leave a powdery mass of brown.

A great danger to furniture is represented by beetles, occasionally flying out of holes. Then the furniture cannot be saved already, since the larvae have degenerated into adults and will soon give another offspring.Professionals advise not to leave spoiled furniture in the house, but rather get rid of it. The best method is to completely burn the furniture affected by the grinder.

Do not confuse furniture grinders with other types of wood beetles, such as bark beetles. If you make a mistake in determining the insect, then the measures taken will not be effective: it will not work to get rid of the detected insect. An interesting fact is that in the fight against beetles, animals, such as birds, are excellent. They will enjoy a new filling, if it comes out. This method is effective, but can significantly spoil the appearance of the room due to a new pet.

What is dangerous insect

The presence of wood beetles in the apartment initially carries a danger to human property. The situation is aggravated when dealing with a furniture grinder. It causes irreparable harm to unvarnished and unprocessed furniture, which also had a high cost for the owners.

These insects do not carry special harm to humans. They are not toxic or hazardous to health. The discomfort problem is excessive activity at night. A person becomes overly irritable, nervous, especially if he does not even know about the existence of a bug.

The appearance of grinders in the house will lead to the following serious problems:

complete damage to furniture: if a beetle has settled in one product, it will necessarily migrate to other objects;
a holistic violation of the interior - spoiled headsets will stand out from the overall design;
loss of furniture functionality - furniture consumed by parasites becomes rotten and can hardly fulfill the functions for which it was intended;
discomfort of a person’s daily life - bugs constantly flying out of holes cause a lot of inconvenience.

You can notice the grinder in the spring season - these insects accumulate in the window frames in order to get into the furniture and get down to business as soon as possible. Since the period of their activity is the warm season, right after the end of winter they can be observed in some houses. It is worth noting that the risk of the appearance of a furniture grinder increases if the frame of the house is made of wood. Parasites start up in poorly heated rooms, where there is increased dampness, and ventilation conditions are violated. The beetle will be able to live and reproduce only in conditions of stuffy temperature, therefore, as a preventive measure, it is necessary to often ventilate the room, maintain a dry climate and provide good lighting for the room.

Furniture damaged by beetles grinders

Methods of struggle

After the parasite is discovered, the question arises, how to get rid of a furniture grinder? In order for this process to be marked by positive results, it is important to correctly identify the beetle. For example, it cannot be confused with a bark beetle, which lives exclusively on a growing tree, feeding on its bark.

Several ways to effectively eliminate the parasite:

liquid paraffin - as soon as a beetle is found, you need to take a syringe with a needle and oil. You can also use a pipette. All grinder manholes are poured with oil, and the holes are covered with wax. The procedure is repeated every 2 weeks until the yellow pollen of insects disappears on the surface;
lowering the temperature - the grinder does not accept too low a temperature, so it will be the right decision to freeze the affected area for a while. It is better to do this for 2-3 days, lowering the temperature to -2 degrees. The advantage of this method is the effectiveness and elimination of the beetle for many years. The downside is that some furniture does not meet certain temperatures;
turpentine and kerosene - mix these two substances in a ratio of 3: 1 and apply to the problem areas of the furniture with a brush. If the bug has not left, repeat the procedure after a week. It is worth noting that the mixture is flammable;
naphthalene and black resin - mix these ingredients in equal parts and treat all affected areas. The method is effective, but the smell of the mixture is too unpleasant;
kerosene in combination with linseed or motor oil. Mix the composition and do the furniture processing.

If the above methods were ineffective - it is worth contacting special services for help. Professionals will treat the house and furniture with insecticides, then the bug will disappear for a long time.

To keep furniture pleasing for many years, carry out careful maintenance of objects, and also adhere to the correct temperature indicators and humidity.