What pests could possibly be a danger to wood floors? Are you kidding? Mice, carpenter ants, termites, woodworms, wood boring beetles and more can take a beautiful wood floor and utterly destroy it. Pest control is imperative wherever you find wood.

Beetles and Termites and Worms… Oh My!

Powder post beetles are just as willing to eat your house as termites. They like to live in walls, crawl spaces and attics. They begin as eggs, go through the pupa and larva stage and end up as adult beetles with ravenous appetites. Prevention is the best treatment when it comes to termites. Catching damage done by termites in its earliest stages is the next best case scenario. But once too much damage is done, the damage is done; as it were. Somewhere in the vicinity of over two billion dollars annually is what these wood munching little creatures cost homeowners. Wood that has been sanded, then stained and finally sealed—as long as no beetle eggs were in the wood to begin with—is the only real protection against wood beetle infestation. Once infested the home must be fumigated. Termite damage can be inspected for in your home at approximately $100 and is good for an entire year.

More Danger to Wood Floors

Aside from pests don’t forget that wood floors can be severely affected by organisms such as wood decay fungi, mildew and mold. Dehumidifiers and the elimination of ventilation are actually two proven ways of assisting with these wood floor issues. Controlling moisture in the crawl space for instance, can not only assist in the prevention of mold and mildew but will discourage certain pests as well; particularly those who love to live in moist conditions. One might think that increasing ventilation would be the way to go here but the exact opposite has been proven and effective now for some 20 years since its inception.

Keep an eye on any wooden furniture that you bring into your home as well; it too, could be infested.