Wood Borer — The Beetle That Eats Your Furniture from Inside

Wood borer beetles are a group of insects whose larvae tunnel through and feed on wood, causing internal structural damage that is often invisible until the infestation is well advanced. The most common species found in Delhi NCR homes is the powderpost beetle, which prefers hardwoods, and the common furniture beetle, which attacks both hardwood and softwood. Adult beetles lay eggs in the pores or cracks of wood surfaces. The hatched larvae spend months to years tunnelling through the wood before emerging as adults through characteristic small, round exit holes on the surface. The fine powder that falls from these holes — called frass — is the most visible sign of an active infestation. Wood borer commonly affects wooden furniture, parquet flooring, timber roof beams, wooden door and window frames, and decorative woodwork. New constructions with freshly installed woodwork are particularly vulnerable.