Most inspections also include a pest inspection. Powder Post Beetle is a term used to describe several species of small (1/8-3/4” long), wood insects that reduce wood to a fine, flour-like powder. Damage is done by the larvae as they create narrow, meandering tunnels in wood as they feed. Infestations are discovered after noticing small, round holes in the wood surface. These are exit holes where adult beetles have chewed out the wood after completing their development. Newly-emerged adults mate and lay eggs on or below the surface of bare unfinished wood. The eggs hatch into tiny larvae that bore into the wood, emerging as adults 1-5 years later, usually between April and July. Homeowners are more likely to see the damage rather than the beetles themselves because the adults are short-lived and are active mainly at night.