What is that Sawdust in my Drawer?

If you find a very fine sawdust inside or around a piece of hardwood furniture, most likely it is a powderpost beetle.  Look directly above the powder in a straight line and you'll find a very small hole or holes 1/16" in diameter or less.  This insect loves hardwood furniture, flooring or millwork like mouldings, mantels, doors, etc.  Their colonies are slow to expand in the beginning and because they are small don't usually cause structural damage, but if left unchecked will continue to expand and spread to other furniture or flooring and become very difficult to stop.  

If found in the beginning you can simply drill a series of 1/16" diameter holes about 1/2" deep around the holes left by the beetles and inject with a syringe Pyola Insect Spray from Gardens Alive catalog (www.gardensalive.com), an organic insect spray, or a mixture of boric acid mixed with water.  You are going to need very little, just about a tablespoon.  Be sure to wear disposable gloves, wash out any container and syringe and wipe up spills.  

After injecting the holes several times, wipe up any excess with a damp cloth.  Then fill the holes with painters putty if the wood is a painted surface or colored wax for satin wood surfaces, making sure to find a color to match the satin finish.  You can find this was at any paint or hardware store.  Check at least twice a week for 2 weeks, then once every week for a month for new holes.  If you find any new holes repeat as outlined above.

By taking these few simple steps when you initially spot the problem, you can preserve your furniture, avoid tenting and fumigating your whole house (which is very toxic to you, your animal companions, and the environment), and possibly save hundreds or thousands of dollars.