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Borer Control Melbourne | Wood Borer and Woodworm Treatment
Small holes and fine powder in timber floors? Our borer control Melbourne team checks if borer are active before treating. Call 0401 573 777 for a free quote.
How do you know if borer are still active?
Reviewed by the Metro Pest Services team, updated September 2026
You know borer are active when fresh powder, called frass, keeps appearing below the holes after you clean it away, or when new holes with clean, pale edges appear. Holes that are dark inside, painted or polished over, with no fresh powder, are usually old damage from beetles that left years ago.
A simple test: vacuum the powder away, cover a few holes with masking tape or a light coat of polish, and check again in spring and early summer, when adult beetles emerge. New powder or holes through the tape mean an active infestation.
In Melbourne homes, most borer damage is in older softwood floors and joinery, especially Baltic pine over a damp, poorly ventilated subfloor. Borer do not spread like termites, and most homes with old holes need no treatment at all.
| Borer inspection | from $149 |
|---|---|
| Localised borer treatment | from $349 |
| Whole floor subfloor treatment | from $590 |
| Exit hole size | About 1 to 2 mm, round |
| Signs of activity | Fresh powder returning, clean new holes |
| When adults emerge | Mostly spring and early summer |
| Most common in | Older softwood floors and joinery |
| Borer or termites? | Borer leave round holes, termites leave mud and hollow timber |
Signs of wood borer in your home
Borer work slowly inside timber for years. These are the signs, and which ones mean they are still there.
Round holes about 1 to 2 mm
Small round exit holes in floorboards, skirting, stairs or furniture.
Fine powder below the holes
Small piles of powder or gritty dust on the floor or under furniture.
Powder that comes back
Powder returning after you vacuum it away, the clearest sign of activity.
Small beetles at windows
Small brown beetles at windows in late spring and early summer.
Soft or crumbly timber
Floorboards or timber edges that crumble or feel soft when pressed.
Holes with clean pale edges
New holes look fresh and pale inside, old holes are dark or filled with dirt or polish.
The wood borer found in Melbourne timber
Two borers cause almost all the damage in Melbourne homes, and the timber they are in tells you which one it is.
Common furniture beetle
Anobium punctatum- Timber
- Seasoned softwood, especially Baltic pine floors, joinery and old furniture.
- Signs
- Round holes about 1 to 2 mm and gritty, pellet like powder.
- Conditions
- Cool, damp timber over poorly ventilated subfloors, with larvae feeding for around three years.
Lyctid powderpost beetle
Lyctus species- Timber
- The sapwood edge of some hardwoods, such as flooring, trims and furniture.
- Signs
- Small holes and very fine powder that feels like talc.
- Conditions
- Usually starts in newer timber, and stops once the starchy sapwood is used up.
Not borer: termites
Termites leave no neat round holes. Look for mud tubes, mud packed into joints and timber that sounds hollow when tapped. If you see those, book a termite inspection instead.
Four things to check before any borer treatment Melbourne quote
Borer treatment is only worth paying for when borer are active and the timber matters. Check these first.
- 1Whether the powder comes back after cleaning, or the holes are simply old damage.
- 2Whether the timber is structural, like floor joists and bearers, or a trim that is easy to replace.
- 3Whether the subfloor is damp and poorly ventilated, which keeps borer coming back after treatment.
- 4Whether the damage is really borer, and not termites, which need a completely different response.
Why subfloor ventilation matters for wood borer
The common furniture beetle prefers cool, damp timber. A dry, well ventilated subfloor makes floors far less attractive, and helps any treatment last.
- Keep subfloor vents clear of garden beds, soil and mulch
- Fix leaking pipes, downpipes and stormwater problems under the house
- Add vents where the subfloor has too few to move air through
- Keep soil levels below the subfloor vents around the house
- Replace timber that is badly weakened, rather than only treating it
How our borer inspection and treatment works
Find out if borer are active first, then treat only what needs it.
Inspect the timber
We check the floors, subfloor, joinery and roof timbers, and identify the borer from holes and powder.
Give an honest verdict
Active, old damage, or not borer at all. If nothing needs treating, we tell you.
Treat active areas
A registered insecticide applied to the underside of floors and affected timber, with a fixed written price.
Advise and recheck
Ventilation and moisture advice, and a recheck in the next emergence season where needed.
Borer treatment cost in Melbourne
These are our starting prices. The final price depends on how much timber is affected, subfloor access and the type of borer, and it is fixed in writing before we start.
Borer inspection
from$149
- Floors, subfloor and joinery checked
- Active or old damage verdict
- Written findings
Localised borer treatment
from$349
- Affected boards or timber treated
- Underside treatment through the subfloor
- Recheck advice
- Written warranty
Whole floor subfloor treatment
from$590
- Treatment of a whole floor area
- Ventilation and moisture advice
- Written warranty
Also quoted on request
- Termite inspection from $200, see termite control
- Furniture treatment quoted per piece
- Roof timbers and stairs priced after inspection
For comparison, Melbourne borer treatments are commonly quoted from about $200 for an assessment, with subfloor treatments from about $450.
- Covers
- Timber we treated
- If activity continues
- Treated again at no charge
- Terms
- Written on your job record
- Depends on
- Damp and ventilation fixed
Metro Pest Services · Melbourne
A borer warranty that respects the life cycle
Borer larvae live inside timber for years, so fresh powder can still appear for a while after treatment as larvae reach the treated surface. If new activity continues in the treated timber during the warranty period, we treat again at no charge.
The warranty covers the timber we treated and depends on the damp and ventilation problems we point out being fixed.
- Warranty terms written on your job record
- Free re treatment if activity continues
- Conditions listed plainly, not in fine print
Woodworm treatment for furniture and antiques
Borer in a piece of furniture can be treated without touching the house, but valuable pieces need care.
Check before you buy
Look underneath and inside drawers of second hand furniture for fresh powder before bringing it home.
Isolate the piece
Move an active piece away from timber floors and other furniture, onto a sheet so new powder is easy to see.
Treat or refer
Everyday furniture can be treated with a registered product. Valuable antiques are best referred to a furniture conservator.
What we tell every customer who finds borer holes
Most holes you find are history
In older Melbourne homes, borer holes are usually decades old. Without fresh powder, there is often nothing to treat.
Borer do not eat a house like termites
Borer damage is slow and usually limited to certain timbers. It is worth checking, not panicking over.
Sometimes replacing a board is cheaper
A few badly damaged boards or a length of skirting can cost less to replace than to treat.
How to keep borer out of your timber
Borer need damp, untreated timber to lay eggs in. These habits make that harder.
Keep the subfloor dry and well ventilated.
Seal, paint or polish exposed timber, which covers the cracks beetles lay eggs in.
Check second hand furniture for fresh powder before bringing it home.
Fix leaks that dampen floors, stairs and roof timbers.
Store firewood away from the house and off timber decks.
Borer inspections across all of Melbourne
Borer turn up wherever there is older timber, and we inspect homes right across the metropolitan area, with no call-out fee.
Inner Melbourne
- Melbourne CBD
- Carlton
- Fitzroy
- Richmond
- South Yarra
- St Kilda
- Collingwood
- Docklands
Northern suburbs
- Brunswick
- Coburg
- Preston
- Reservoir
- Epping
- Craigieburn
- Bundoora
- Heidelberg
Eastern suburbs
- Box Hill
- Doncaster
- Ringwood
- Glen Waverley
- Blackburn
- Croydon
- Boronia
- Lilydale
South east
- Dandenong
- Clayton
- Cranbourne
- Narre Warren
- Berwick
- Pakenham
- Springvale
- Keysborough
Bayside and south
- Brighton
- Sandringham
- Cheltenham
- Mentone
- Mordialloc
- Frankston
- Seaford
- Carrum Downs
Western suburbs
- Footscray
- Sunshine
- Altona
- Point Cook
- Werribee
- Hoppers Crossing
- Tarneit
- Melton
Inner city period homes. Victorian and Edwardian terraces with Baltic pine floors and old joinery.
Postwar weatherboard homes. Timber floors over subfloors that can be damp and poorly vented.
Bayside and damp areas. Homes where damp subfloors keep timber attractive to borer.
Antique and furniture stores. Shops and storage with older furniture that may carry borer.
Borer Control Melbourne FAQs
Not sure if your borer are active? Send a photo of the holes and any powder, and we will tell you what we see.
Call 0401 573 777How much does borer treatment cost in Melbourne?
With us a borer inspection starts from $149, localised treatment from $349, and whole floor subfloor treatment from $590. The price is fixed in writing before we start.
Do I need a borer inspection before treatment?
Yes. Most holes are old damage, so a borer inspection confirms whether borer are active before you pay for treatment.
How do I test if borer are active?
Vacuum the powder, cover some holes with masking tape or polish, and check in spring and early summer. New powder or holes mean borer are active.
What is the difference between borer and termites?
Borer leave small round holes and powder. Termites leave mud tubes, mud packed joints and hollow timber, and need a termite inspection.
What does woodworm treatment involve?
Woodworm pest control uses a registered insecticide applied to affected timber, usually from the underside of floors, with advice on ventilation and damp.
Can borer damage be structural?
It can weaken floorboards and some joists over many years, which is why structural timber is checked closely and badly weakened timber replaced.
Will borer spread through my whole house?
Borer spread slowly and prefer certain timbers in damp conditions, so they rarely affect a whole house the way termites can.
Is wood borer common in Melbourne?
Yes, especially in older homes with Baltic pine floors and joinery over damp subfloors, though most damage found is old.
Does polishing floors stop borer?
Sealing or polishing covers cracks where beetles lay eggs, which helps prevent new attack, but it does not kill larvae already inside.
Do you treat borer in furniture?
Yes, for everyday furniture. Valuable antiques are best referred to a furniture conservator for careful treatment.
Should I buy a house with borer holes?
Old borer holes are common in older homes. Have the timber checked for activity and ask for a timber pest inspection so you know what you are buying.
How long does borer treatment take to work?
Larvae die as they reach treated timber, so fresh powder can take a season or two to stop completely.
Fresh powder on the floor again?
Borer inspection from $149 with an honest verdict, localised treatment from $349, and a written warranty on treated timber.