Beetles In Grapevine Wreaths And Baskets

I've made about 6-7 wreaths with no problem. I'm trying to get back to being creative, so I'm not a well experienced crafter at all. You probably know about what I'm going to write about already, but I didn't.

I went to spray my front door wreath with mosquito spray and noticed all of this sawdust/sand looking stuff on the porch, brick trim and all over my wreath. Absolutely gross and there was a lot of it. I flew into the house and called our "rat guy" - the exterminating company we use for rats. We live by a bayou and although everyone in Houston, Texas USA has rats, my husband wanted the service. I thought we had termites when I saw all that "sawdust/sand". They sent their entomologist out and he looked at the wreath and showed me these tiny, tiny drill holes in the grapevine wreath. It was some kind of beetle that apparently hatched and drilled it's way out. He said these kinds of craft items and wicker furniture, baskets, etc. get imported from overseas and this was no surprise to him. But I had never had a problem with grapevine before.

So he threw out all my wreaths and checked inside the house too, looked at all my baskets and other crafts, but I was lucky there were no more beetles or evidence of any. Forget about the small fortune I paid for all of the flowers, etc. to decorate the wreaths. I was also disappointed because I enjoyed decorating them so much and had to throw all of them out. He put them in plastic leaf bags, sealed the bags and put them in the trash.

I told my mother, a crafter, and she told me she bakes her grapevine wreaths before she decorates them. She said she puts them in a 200 degree F oven for an hour and this kills any kind of vermin. She also does this with the moss that hangs from trees. She lives in Florida, USA and uses the moss to put around her orchids that she raises.

The good news is is that we are signed up with our rat guy's company to have our entire home and garage treated for all mice, rats, bugs, etc. I've been wanting that! Other women want diamonds, I want bug service - go figure!

Like I said, this is probably no news to you, but I thought I'd share it anyway. May no wreath beetles darken your door!

Best regards!

By metroplex from Houston, TX