It is a serious pest of hardwoods including ash, hickory, oak, maple and mahogany and can infest many products in the home including hardwood flooring and structural timbers, plywood, furniture, tool handles, picture frames, baskets and ladders.

[1][4] The female beetle mates soon after emerging in the spring and lays up to fifty eggs over the course of a week.

They are laid deep inside holes in wood, either in the tunnels made by emerging adults or in pores, cracks and crevices.

In heated buildings development occurs quickly but in adverse environments, growth is slower and the larvae may hibernate in colder regions.

[6] Subfloors, joists and rafters are usually made of pine or other softwood and generally escape infestation.

Imported tropical hardwoods may be heavily infested because of poor drying and storage practices before shipment.