WOOD-DESTROYING INSECTS
  Preferred Wood Type Preferred Wood Moisture Content Emergence/ Bore Holes Galleries and Frass
Possible Reinfestation
 Typical Source of Infestation Remarks
Termite Softwood, hardwood, sapwood, heartwood, old wood, new wood*

>8%

Seldom seen; uses existing gaps, cracks Messy, packed with excrema, soil, wood fragments

Yes

Enters heated buildings from soil Seldom seen except when swarming; discarded wings indicate presence
Carpenter Ant Softwood, hardwood, sapwood, heartwood, old wood, new wood*

>15%

Seldom seen; uses existing gaps, cracks Clean with "sandpapered" walls; insect parts and shredded wood near nest.

Yes

Enters heated and unheated buildings form soil Often seen foraging in building though nest is in nearby tree or stump
Powder-post Beetle Hardwood, sapwood, new wood*

6% to 30%

Round, 1/32" to 1/8" Loosely packed with very fine powder

Yes

Brought into buildings in infected furniture, flooring, firewood, etc. Hardwoods coated with film-forming finishes safe from attack.
Old House Borer Softwood, sapwood, new wood*

10% to 30%

Oval, 1/4" to 3/8" Tightly packed with fine powder and tiny pellets; walls with ripple-marks

Yes

Brought into buildings in infected new and salvaged lumber; can enter from outside Larvae in wood make rasping, ticking, or clicking sound
Anobiid Softwood, hardwood, sapwood, old wood, new wood*

13% to 30%

Round, 1/16" to 1/8" Loosely packed with fine powder and tiny pellets

Yes

Enters damp areas like crawlspaces and basements from outside Infestations develop slowly; 30 holes per sq. ft. indicates well established infestation
* "New wood" is less than ten years old; "old wood" is more than ten years old.

Source: Troubleshooting Guide to Residential Construction; Journal of Light Construction.