How to deal with old furniture carrying borers?

How to deal with old furniture carrying borers?

Old furniture (antique, second-hand, heirloom wooden furniture) is a major source of borer spread. If not treated before bringing it home, borers can spread to other wooden items in the house.

Step 1: Inspect outdoors

Before bringing old furniture indoors, inspect it outdoors or on the balcony:

• Carefully examine the surface for small round holes.
• Check the bottom and back for fine powder.
• Gently tap suspicious areas and listen for hollow sounds.
• Poke suspicious spots with a screwdriver.

Step 2: Injection treatment

If borer signs are found, treat outdoors:

1. Vacuum powder from all holes.
2. Spray dinotefuran-containing household insecticide directly into each hole.
3. Apply several sprays per hole to allow the liquid to penetrate deeply.
4. For larger tunnels, use a syringe for better injection.

Step 3: Sealed fumigation

After treating the holes, cover the entire piece with plastic sheeting or a large sealed bag:

• Place a cloth soaked in dinotefuran solution inside the sealed space.
• Seal and leave for 3-5 days; the vapors penetrate inside, killing deep larvae.
• This is more thorough than injection alone.

Step 4: Final treatment before bringing inside

• Open the plastic sheeting and allow the furniture to air-dry outdoors.
• After drying, seal all holes with wood putty or wax.
• If needed, reapply varnish or wax.

Step 5: Observe after bringing inside

After bringing it inside, observe for 2-4 weeks:

• Is there any new powder falling around the furniture?
• Are there any new holes appearing?
• If so, some borers remain and need further treatment.

Recommendation: It is best to treat old furniture outdoors and observe for 2 weeks with no new powder before bringing it indoors, to prevent borers from spreading to other wooden items in the home.

Note

It is not advisable to bring untreated borer-infested old furniture directly into bedrooms. Especially for items like beds and wardrobes that are in close contact with people, ensure thorough treatment before bringing them in.