Wood Borers in Wooden Flooring and Staircases

Wooden floors, stairs and skirting are walked on daily, so weakened wood is both a safety and an appearance problem. Borers may work unseen under the surface until a board softens or powder appears.

The short answer

Wood borers can attack wooden flooring, joists, staircases, treads and skirting, especially in damp or poorly ventilated areas. Signs include tiny exit holes, fine powder along edges, creaking, soft or hollow boards and bouncing floors. Test by probing and tapping, check under floors where accessible, and have a professional treat affected timber. Replace boards that are badly weakened. Control moisture to prevent recurrence.

Signs

• Tiny round holes in boards, treads and skirting.
• Powder along edges or in corners.
• Creaking, soft or bouncy areas.
• Hollow sound when tapped.

Where to check

1. Edges and corners of rooms.
2. Under stairs and on stringers.
3. Skirting boards and door frames.
4. Under floors if there is a crawl space or access.

Treatment

• Professional injection and surface treatment, with attention to underside timber.
• Replace severely damaged boards.
• Fix leaks and improve ventilation.

Prevention

• Keep floors dry and ventilated.
• Seal and polish all accessible faces.
• Use treated timber for new flooring.
• Inspect stairs and floors yearly.

When to call a professional

If the problem is widespread, keeps returning or you are unsure what you are dealing with, a professional inspection will save time and avoid wasted effort.

Frequently asked questions

Is a creaking floor always borers?

No, but it is worth checking.

Can I sand and re-polish?

Only after treatment, since polish does not kill larvae.

Are stairs safe to use?

Not if treads feel soft or weak.

Does laminate flooring get borers?

The base boards can, if made from vulnerable timber.

This guide is part of IPest's complete resource on wood borer control. For identification help, prevention and treatment options, see our full wood borer treatment guide for Bangalore.