There seems to be a preference for softwood, particularly sapwood, from which floorboards are usually cut. The eggs hatch after several weeks and bore into the timber. This is the larval stage during which most of the damage to the timber will be done, working unseen, inside the timber. The larval period varies according to conditions and is generally in excess of three years in domestic situations.

The larva turns to pupa near the surface of the timber where it remains for six to eight weeks. The adult emerges as a beetle from a flight hole 1.5 – 2.0mm Ø in the late spring and through the summer. It can grow to around 2.5mm and 5mm and lives for around three to four weeks, during which time it mates and the female lays eggs.