How to eliminate wood bugs ("Bukbok")

[fgvillegas]

I house has just been completed recently but I noticed some powdered wood on the floor. Upon searching, I saw some holes on the cornice and I was told that this is being caused by "bukbok" or wood bugs.

My contractor applied colorless solignum on all wooden parts of the house. I am guessing that the chemical was not applied thoroughly.

What can I do to eliminate these bugs without having to change the cornice? Is there some sort of powdered chemicals that I can inject in the hole that when it gets in contact with the bug, it will not die at once but carry the powdered chemical somewhere where the other bugs might get infected and die later?

It may sound weird but I have heard something like this before which they say is very effective on termites too.

Thanks.

[opzuk4x4]

I house has just been completed recently but I noticed some powdered wood on the floor. Upon searching, I saw some holes on the cornice and I was told that this is being caused by "bukbok" or wood bugs.

My contractor applied colorless solignum on all wooden parts of the house. I am guessing that the chemical was not applied thoroughly.

What can I do to eliminate these bugs without having to change the cornice? Is there some sort of powdered chemicals that I can inject in the hole that when it gets in contact with the bug, it will not die at once but carry the powdered chemical somewhere where the other bugs might get infected and die later?

It may sound weird but I have heard something like this before which they say is very effective on termites too.

Thanks.
I think you are referring to arsenic powder.

[fgvillegas]

thanks opzuk4x4.

do you know where to buy arsenic powder?

[manggyver]

thanks opzuk4x4.

do you know where to buy arsenic powder?

ARSENIC is not being sold in retail and in pure-form. This is a very toxic material. If i am not mistaken, there is a compound "copper-chromate-arsenate" that what was being sold for wood preservation. I can't just recall the brand name. I think SOLIGNUM is still a good alternative if applied properly. HTH

[opzuk4x4]

thanks opzuk4x4.

do you know where to buy arsenic powder?

I don't think it is sold to the public......only licensed applicators are allowed to handle it AFAIK. You can ask your friendly neighborhood pest control technician if he can spare you some. Handle it with care though.....that thing is nasty!!

[fgvillegas]

oh, i see.

thanks guys (manggyver & opzuk4x4) for the info and help.

[bigfoot2]

Mapecon uses Malathion in our house. They use a syringe to inject in every hole they find. They visit 1-2x a month before, injecting evrey new hole they find. Took about 3-4 months before it eradicated the problem, I think (its 3 months already since I found any new holes).

Arsenic based powders is usually used for nesting insects like termite/ants, since they carry it back to their nest. I don't think wood borers are the nesting type.

[fgvillegas]

Mapecon uses Malathion in our house. They use a syringe to inject in every hole they find.

i think sourcing out malathion is easy. i remember buying a bottle before for our garden plants. i can give it a try. but my next problem is the syringe. i'm not sure if i can buy or will be allowed to buy this in the drugstore.

do you inject this in the holes made by the wood borers or do you also create new holes to inject the insecticide?

thanks.

[bigfoot2]

i think sourcing out malathion is easy. i remember buying a bottle before for our garden plants. i can give it a try. but my next problem is the syringe. i'm not sure if i can buy or will be allowed to buy this in the drugstore.

do you inject this in the holes made by the wood borers or do you also create new holes to inject the insecticide?

thanks.

You can easily buy a syringe at the drugstore. No need to create new holes, just inject in the existing holes, but you must regularly check for new holes and inject.

If the wood is unfinished, you brush it with insectiside.

[fgvillegas]

thanks bigfoot2. i'll drop by the drugstore anytime to buy the syringe and, hopefully, be able to apply the insecticide this weekend.

[fgvillegas]

I tried using malathion but it gets coming back. There are some holes where the syringe cannot penetrate.

I saw some chemicals in Ace Hardware specifically for wood borers. I was thinking if if would apply this using paint brush. Will if work even if the wood is already varnished? Anyway, the area where I plan to apply it is not exposed so it's just okay even if the color will change. Otherwise, I could use syringe again.

Thanks.

[pax]

got the same problem here...just found my problem last weekend, the wood that were being attacked are stair steps. i initially sprayed baygon on the infected wood planks and on the 3rd day, i found 2 dead wood bugs, on the 4th day, another 1 died... i still continues to spray for now and hopes that i will not find another hole again.

[fgvillegas]

actually i also have on my stair steps. maybe i should also try baygon.

did you spray it directly from the hole made by the wood bugs?

[guad]

Look into...

boric acid

ethylene (or propylene) glycol a.k.a. automotive antifreeze/coolant

food-grade diatomaceous earth

[fgvillegas]

Look into...

boric acid

ethylene (or propylene) glycol a.k.a. automotive antifreeze/coolant

food-grade diatomaceous earth

Do you mean apply any of the above on/in the affected areas?

[guad]

Yes, the first two should be easy to find and should take of the problem. For boric acid, if not in hardware stores, try chemical stores like Alysons Chemicals, sold by the kg. Note that borax and boric acid are not the same, though similar. The third is optional but also good and may be harder to find.

But first search web and read up to find out how these work, which to apply, and best way to apply, otherwise it could be a waste of money.

These are the safer/natural/organic way instead of whatever toxic chemicals are used by the pest control companies, unless they happen to use boric acid or coolant or DE, in which case post their names here so we can know who the 'environmental' ones are.

[pax]

actually i also have on my stair steps. maybe i should also try baygon.

did you spray it directly from the hole made by the wood bugs?

i just sprayed on the wood surface... i expected they will drill-out again and hoped that baygon will affect them, on the 3rd day pa nag-effect.. i'm glad to see how "bukbok" looks like. =)
i used the waterbased baygon nga pala...

[fgvillegas]

i just sprayed on the wood surface... i expected they will drill-out again and hoped that baygon will affect them, on the 3rd day pa nag-effect.. i'm glad to see how "bukbok" looks like. =)
i used the waterbased baygon nga pala...

i tried spraying this morning on the wood surface only as the spray can doesn't have a hose attached to the nozzle.

i also used waterbased raid. i'm not sure only if it will affect the varnish of my steps. what about yours?

i'm thinking if i will continue to spray for 3 consecutive days or 1 week. what is your strategy? :)
i hope in a day or 2 i would see how this bukbok looks like too.

[rogin24]

tested ko na itong crude oil with napthaline balls, kailangan lang tunawin ang napthaline balls tapos ihalo sa crudo, then apply lang ng brush

[pax]

i tried spraying this morning on the wood surface only as the spray can doesn't have a hose attached to the nozzle.

i also used waterbased raid. i'm not sure only if it will affect the varnish of my steps. what about yours?

i'm thinking if i will continue to spray for 3 consecutive days or 1 week. what is your strategy? :)
i hope in a day or 2 i would see how this bukbok looks like too.

i also use the spray type can w/o nozzle... i'm hoping it would not have a bad effect on my wood varnish too (tho i noticed that the shine was lessen, i might apply a floor wax after i'm done w/ those bugs).
hope it would work on you too in a day or two...! =)
i'm spraying at night time only so the insecticide will not be wiped out by constant traffic on the stairs at daytime...
i'm planning to continue until no new holes will be found in my stair steps...next proj is to patch those holes with something that would match the natural wood color. =))

[fgvillegas]

The day after I sprayed insecticide, I noticed that there are no more wood powder on the steps. This could indicate that the wood borer: (a) died, (b)didn't like the taste of the wood with insecticide so it decided to fast for a while :) , or (c) go deeper in the steps to chew fresh wood.

I hope it's not (c). :(

[guad]

Some links on boric acid and ethylene glycol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid
http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef614.asp
http://www.alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/boric_acid.html
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoservices/pesticidefactsheets/leasttoxic/boricacid_borates_borax.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Alternative---Boric-Acid:-Natures-Bug-Control&id=201841

A local blog:
http://www.myhealthblog.org/2008/10/26/boric-acid-is-a-safe-and-effective-method-of-getting-rid-of-cockroaches-our-home/

[fgvillegas]

thanks guad for the info. :)

[pax]

The day after I sprayed insecticide, I noticed that there are no more wood powder on the steps. This could indicate that the wood borer: (a) died, (b)didn't like the taste of the wood with insecticide so it decided to fast for a while :) , or (c) go deeper in the steps to chew fresh wood.

I hope it's not (c). :(

those bugs die outside the hole they bore... i always have seen them still moving but unable to crawl anymore, i'm already out of baygon last night. i'm thinking if i will buy another spray can or try the boric powder instead, bec. i also have prob. w/ ants.

[fgvillegas]

those bugs die outside the hole they bore... i always have seen them still moving but unable to crawl anymore, i'm already out of baygon last night. i'm thinking if i will buy another spray can or try the boric powder instead, bec. i also have prob. w/ ants.

this morning i saw new wood powder in the area where i sprayed for 3 days. no sign of dead bugs yet.

i will spray again tonight and hopefully see these bugs die soon.

if i'll run out of Raid and nothing change, i'll try Baygon next time.

[bobbypage1]

this morning i saw new wood powder in the area where i sprayed for 3 days. no sign of dead bugs yet.

i will spray again tonight and hopefully see these bugs die soon.

if i'll run out of Raid and nothing change, i'll try Baygon next time.

If i may share, sir...Just in case you ran out of baygon....

I was advised by "old timers" to mix "gaas" & rock salt. Athough the 2 doesnt mix, applying them at the same time did wonders.

Had to powder the salt a bit more, mix, shake & apply at once. I used syringe for holes & soaked paint brush for the joints & uncoated/hidden parts, specially the base.

Other advises (from the local hardware store)
Potency of :
Insecticides: 7 days (max)
Clear Solignum: 6-12 mos.

[fleur]

If i may share, sir...Just in case you ran out of baygon....

I was advised by "old timers" to mix "gaas" & rock salt. Athough the 2 doesnt mix, applying them at the same time did wonders.

Had to powder the salt a bit more, mix, shake & apply at once. I used syringe for holes & soaked paint brush for the joints & uncoated/hidden parts, specially the base.

Other advises (from the local hardware store)
Potency of :
Insecticides: 7 days (max)
Clear Solignum: 6-12 mos.

I used "gaas" too in my kitchen cabinet but without a mix of rock salt. I just applied it with paint brush. It worked but I saw a little of wood powder again that comes from another part of the cabinet. Do you think the insects didn't die and just transferred? I think this time I should mix it with the rock salt to be more effective. Is using paint brush alone in applying "gaas" will not go deep inside the affected areas? Do I really need to inject all the holes one by one?:rolleyes:

[violaine]

hay kainis talaga bukbok..mas ok pa yata ang anay kasi they are much bigger and they make these fantastic tracks and tunnels easily seen and destroyed...

a long time ago, it scared me to death when a strong typhoon wind broke loose the window jamb of our ancestral home...jalousies banging here and there..and it was due to bukbok.:mad:

if all else fails, replace the entire bukbok affected parts..hehe

btw, i have tried also injecting solignum into crevices made by those f#$% bukbok...with that technique, victory for some areas but failure in general..

[guad]

I brushed automotive coolant (ethylene glycol) onto a piece of bamboo and into the borer holes but after a day or two, the powder buildup continued.

Then I immersed the bamboo completely in coolant for a day or so, and up to now, several months later, no more powder.

[magaanluwagi]

mga bossings,

update naman sa mga gumamit ng baygon at solignum please:)
ano nang balita?

na-eliminate na ba ng tuluyan using baygon or solignum.

yung mga doors and stairs namin dito, dami na bukbok, yung iba, malapit nang masira.