Longhorned beetle is one of the families of beetles with the largest number of species.
They are called longhorned beetles because of their long antennae.
Their larva is called a roundheaded borer. Many of the hundreds of species of longhorned beetles are very common. They vary in size from 1/4 to 3 inches long.
They are mostly attracted to dying, freshly cut or recently-killed trees where they lay eggs on the bark of the green wood.
The larvae emerge from the eggs and burrow into the tree and spend one to three years tunnelling through the wood.
Tunnels may be just under the bark or in the heartwood, are usually about the size of a lead pencil, and are packed with coarse sawdust.
Roundheaded borers are commonly found in firewood, and the longhorned beetles may emerge from wood brought into the house.
These beetles may also wander into houses by mistake as "accidental invaders." They crawl about the house creating a nuisance but they cannot bite, sting, attack furniture or damage the house structure.
They do not infest cured lumber (such as in the house structure or in furniture) nor dried firewood.
The best way to prevent the nuisance of insects emerging from firewood is to leave the firewood outside until it is to be burned, bringing at most, a few day's supply into the house at one time.
Beetles that do emerge from firewood inside the house need only be picked up and thrown away.
Spraying firewood with an insecticide is of very little benefit and potentially dangerous. Insecticides will not penetrate deeply enough into firewood to control roundheaded borers or emerging longhorned beetles.
Storing and burning insecticide-treated firewood indoors could be a health hazard as the insecticide is vaporized into the living area of the house.
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