Ambrosia Beetle
Category: Miscellaneous
Scientific Name: Platypus spp.
Identification:
Color: light to dark brown
Size: 1/16- 5/16 of an inch
Region: Found throughout the United States, Canada and worldwide
Important Considerations:
- Their name comes from the fact that they eat ambrosia fungus.
- They will bore into wood of live or recently cut wood. They use these tunnels to grow the fungus they eat, but do not eat the wood themselves.
- The ambrosia fungus they grow in the wood will stain it. This staining is the main cause of concern for most home owners.
Where to Find Them on Your Property?
Piles of wood shavings, entrance holes and the beetles themselves are signs that you have an infestation. The wood must have at least a 30% moisture content, so not all wood makes a suitable habitat.