Bugs That Live in Wood

Termites

• There are thousands of species of termite, but not all live within wood. Termite species that do live in wood include drywood and dampwood termites. Drywood termites live in social colonies within undecayed, dry wood. Drywood termites eat the wood they live in, which can include houses, utility poles and furniture. Dampwood termites live in damp wood, hence the name. This species typically nests in rotting wood that has contact with soil and thus a higher moisture content, such as fallen tree branches, stumps, outdoor patios or decks and leaky roofs.

Beetles

• Certain species of beetles live in wood, including bark beetles, weevils, spider beetles, steely blue beetles and house longhorn beetles. Within each of these species are even more sub-species of wood-dwelling beetle. For example, bark beetles, which live in the bark of trees, originated in Northern Europe, but numerous sub-species can be found globally, with California contained 20 species of bark beetle. Most wood-dwelling beetles live in dead or rotting trees, and few species attack and kill their hosts.

Bed Bugs

• Although bed bugs are commonly thought to dwell only in fabrics such as bedding and clothing, the insect can also live within wood. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, bed bugs can live in the cracks and crevices of wood near a bed, including in wooden bed frames, headboards, foot boards, nightstands, picture frames and nearby furniture. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln suggests "carefully examining" the joints and cracks of any wooden furniture near or housing your mattress. Bed bugs leave behind small dark liquid feces spots around their hiding places.

Carpenterworms

• Carpenterworms are a wood-dwelling insect commonly found in willow, maple, oak, American elm, apricot, birch and cottonwood trees. As larva, the carpenterworm begins as a wood-boring caterpillar nesting within a tree's bark. Once housed within the tree, the caterpillars reproduce and hatch into moths with a wingspan of 3 inches. A tree infested with carpenterworms will display dark sap spots on its trunk and scarred bark.