W. Va. Code R. § 61-12C-7 - Requirements for the Treatment of Wood Destroying Beetles

7.1. When Treatment Will Be Permitted - After it is determined that an active infestation exists, treatment will be permitted for the control or prevention of reinfestation of the families of beetles which are known to reinfest seasoned wood, i.e. Anobiidae, Lyctidae, Bostrichidae, Cerambycidae (old house borer and flat oak borer only) and Curculionidae. Preventative treatment in the absence of an infestation is prohibited without approval of the commissioner. Treatment is expressly prohibited for the control or prevention of other beetles that may cause damage to seasoned wood structures such as Ambrosia beetles, Bark beetles, Flat headed borers, long-horned borers, Metallic wood borers, Pin worms, Round headed borers other than old house and flat oak borers, Timber beetles, and the Siricidae (woodwasps) or Marine borers except with prior approval of the Commissioner. Requests for prior approval must specify the organism involved.

7.2. Determining Active Infestations.

7.2.a. Anobiidae - the following criteria shall be used in determining the activity of anobiid powder post beetles in sub-structures, attached garages, outbuildings and stored lumber.

7.2.a.A. The presence of frass the color of fresh cut wood is acceptable as evidence of an active infestation of the Anobiidae.

7.2.a.B. The presence of holes alone or holes and dull-colored frass is not acceptable evidence of an active infestation of the Anobiidae except in such cases where live larvae and pupae are found in wood members.

7.2.a.C. Where numerous holes alone and/or dull-colored frass are found in wood members, the representative of the licensed pesticide application business should check the upper living areas for infestation and the property should be checked during the optimum time for frass production which is May 15 to September 1. Anobiidae beetles usually infest products more than 10 years old and most infestations are confined to softwoods such as pine, whereas the Lyctidae usually confine themselves to recently processed hardwoods such as domestic oak and pecan or foreign woods such as banak, meranti and obeche.

7.2.a.D. Numerous other beetles may cause damage in the products that the Anobiidae and Lyctidae infest. Identification aids for these beetles are:

7.2.a.D.(a). timber beetles and pinworms produce no frass in their tunnels, tunnel walls are stained darker than surrounding wood and there is no activity in products more than 5 years old.

7.2.a.D.(b). bark beetles or bostrichids in softwoods produce holes fewer in number in or near bark, with larval tunnels beneath bark scoring the bark and the wood with some of the frass being the same color as the inner bark.

7.2.b. Determining the activity of powder post beetles (Lyctidae) infestations is not required if the infested products are less than 10 years old. Otherwise, fresh frass and/or live larva or pupae in wood is acceptable evidence of activity.

7.2.c. Determining the activity of old house borer (Hylotrupes bajulus L.) infestations.

7.2.c.A. The presence of adult beetles and oval exit holes with fresh sawdust-like frass consisting of fine powder and tiny pellets southern pine, Douglas fir, or spruce wood is evidence of an active infestation of the old house borer.

7.2.c.B. The presence of live larvae or pupae in the softwoods listed in sub-paragraph 7.2.c.A of this rule is evidence of an active old house borer infestation, if the frass is sawdust-like.

7.2.c.C. Identification aids:

7.2.c.C.(a). other long-horned borers, flat-headed borers, Siricid woodwasps, and marine borers sometimes damage softwood used in building construction. These longhorned borers produce loosely packed fibrous tobacco-like frass,

7.2.c.C.(b). the flat headed borers make tunnels three times wider than high, whereas old house borer tunnels are less than three times wider than high,

7.2.c.C.(c). Siricids woodwasps make perfectly circular exit holes, and

7.2.c.C.(d). marine borer excavations usually contain whitish calcium deposits but no frass.

7.3. Treatment Procedures.

7.3.a. When wood-destroying beetles are present at or below the subfloor level, pesticides should be applied from underneath the structure using an approved pesticide in accordance with label directions.

7.3.b. If there is evidence to indicate or reasonable cause to suspect that a substantial active infestation of wood-destroying beetles exists above the subfloor level, then fumigation with an approved fumigant is permitted, provided the property owner has been informed of other alternative treatments such as spot application, removal and replacement of infested wood members or treatment of the sub-structure only if it is actively infested. If fumigation is chosen by the property owner, the licensed pesticide application business shall notify the commissioner of the location at least 48 hours prior to the anticipated time of treatment.

Notes

W. Va. Code R. § 61-12C-7