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Common Furniture Beetle

Common Furniture Beetle

Anobium punctatum

A species of Anobium, Also known as Woodworm, Death-watch beetle

The Anobium punctatum, generally known as the common Furniture Beetle, has been perceived to be the main cause of damage to timber in many countries. The female individual lays from 20-60 eggs in cracks in wood or inside old exit holes. The larvae stay inside the wood for up to four years and exit once they mature.

General Info About Common Furniture Beetle
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Attributes of Common Furniture Beetle
Colors
Brown
White
Habitat
furniture
Adult Food Sources
Wood, dried plant material, starchy materials in library books, museum specimens, wooden tools
Larva Food Source
Wood, wooden objects, furniture, bookbindings, plywood
Biting/stinging
Not reported
Allergy-causing
Not reported
Defensive attack
Not reported
Venomous
Not reported
Non-poisonous
The Common Furniture Beetle is non-toxic and generally doesn't pose a risk to human health. No need for excessive worry.
Borer
The Common Furniture Beetle can bore into the wood and may damage its structure, or even harm the health of trees. Stay alert if you frequently observe it in your house.
Pollinator
Not reported
Pest-Eating Predatory
Not reported
Phytophagous
The Common Furniture Beetle feeds on plants, usually without causing significant harm. However, it's important to take the situation seriously if their numbers begin to increase significantly.
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Species Status of Common Furniture Beetle
They are cosmopolitan, distributed around the world. They are rarely found in tropical hardwoods.
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Distribution Area of Common Furniture Beetle
Canada
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Appearance of Common Furniture Beetle
Adult Anobium punctatum measure 2.5 - 4.5 mm in length. They have brown ellipsoidal bodies with a prothorax resembling a monk's cowl . Each producing a 1 mm long, creamy white, C-shaped larva.
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How to Identify Common Furniture Beetle?

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Predators of Common Furniture Beetle Larvae
Birds, rodents, spiders
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Predators of Adult Common Furniture Beetle
Birds, rodents, lizards, spiders
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Interesting Facts About Common Furniture Beetle
The larvae of common Furniture Beetle can remain dormant inside wood for decades before emerging.
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Scientific Classification of Common Furniture Beetle
Tips for Finding Common Furniture Beetle
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Youth Habitat of Common Furniture Beetle
Rotting and Decaying Matter, Urban and Suburban Areas, Forests and Woodlands
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Adult Habitat of Common Furniture Beetle
Urban and Suburban Areas, Forests and Woodlands, Agricultural and Cultivated Areas
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How Can You Attract Common Furniture Beetle
For trapping common Furniture Beetle, use bait such as starchy substances or wood fragments that emit a scent similar to their food sources.
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What is the Best Weather to Observe Common Furniture Beetle
Moist and warm weather conditions are most suitable for conducting searches for common Furniture Beetle as they prefer such environments for breeding and activity.
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How and Where Can You Find Common Furniture Beetle at Different Life Stages
Egg Eggs of common Furniture Beetle are laid within cracks or crevices in wood. To locate them, inspect any suspicious crevices in wooden furniture or beams using a magnifying glass.
Larva Larvae of common Furniture Beetle are typically found tunneling in wood. Look for wood with exit holes or frass (fine powdery waste), and listen for faint nibbling sounds within infested wooden items.
Pupal Pupae of common Furniture Beetle develop within the wood. Finely shredded wood on the surface often signals the presence of pupae underneath. Explore suspected areas by carefully revealing the under layers.
Adult Common Furniture Beetle adults are often found near sources of light. At night, use a light trap to attract and capture them. During the day, they may be found resting on surfaces or inside old wood.
Are Common Furniture Beetle harmful?
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Common Furniture Beetle can bore into woods, damage furniture and wooden structure of houses, causing economic loss and safety concerns.

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Are Common Furniture Beetle harmful to humans?

Boring wood to affect beauty. Small holes can be observed in the damaged wood. If the number of larvae drilled is large, dense holes will appear on the wood surface.
Decaying food to cause economic losses. In addition to harming wooden furniture, wooden floors and other wooden frames, they can also harm artworks and books.
Destroying the structure to cause potential safety hazards. In severe cases, they will cause the wood to decay and become too fragile to bear the weight and then break and collapse. This is a serious security risk.
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Larvae are the main damage period.
After the larvae hatch from the eggs, they will drill into the wood. They feed and grow at the same time, forming a long insect path in the wood structure. This process takes 3-4 years. Under the unsuitable growth conditions, larvae will be diapause and remain in larval state for up to ten years.
When larvae need to pupate, they come to the wood surface and drill small holes to pupate and emerge into adults.
After mating, the females will look for suitable wood to lay eggs. Or they may lay their eggs around the holes where they emerged.
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Where do Common Furniture Beetle come from?

  • Common Furniture Beetles have bored through wooden materials before these materials are moved into homes.
  • When a house is largely wooden structured or decorated with many wooden materials, common Furniture Beetle is more likely to be attracted.
  • Higher humidity in the indoor spaces can attract common Furniture Beetle to enter and lay eggs.
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What is the most effective prevention against Common Furniture Beetle?

  • Keep your home well-ventilated. When necessary, turn on a dehumidifier or use air conditioning to dehumidify and dial down the extra moisture level at home.
  • Repair your roof, pipes, cracks, and seams to prevent rain and underground water leak.
  • Use hardwood for home decoration material.
  • Paint furniture lacquer on the surfaces of wood pieces evenly. It can seal the hidden larvae inside the wood, cut off their air supply, and suffocate them.
  • Pay attention to the condition of wood in your home. If there are suspicious holes on the wood surface, if there are droppings, wood chips, dead adults on the ground, or in the vicinity of the window to observe the tracks of the adults, then should be promptly closed holes and away from the adults.
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Harmful Effects of Common Furniture Beetle
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Structural Pests

The larval stage of common Furniture Beetle targets wooden items, causing extensive internal damage before surfacing as adults. Their activity can weaken structural integrity over time, leading to costly repairs or replacements for homeowners.

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Hurt Plant

Common Furniture Beetle infestation can cause various degrees of damage, from mild to severe. It bores through roots and stems at the larva and adult stages, affecting any host plant, leading to weakened structural integrity and potentially plant death.

More Effects of Common Furniture Beetle

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