What type of damage do wood-boring beetles typically cause?

Wood-boring beetles are known for their ability to cause significant damage to wood by creating tunnels and galleries within it. These beetles, in their larval stage, burrow into wood where they feed on the cellulose material, weakening the structural integrity of the wood. As they create these tunnels, they can compromise wooden structures, furniture, and even trees, leading to further decay and potential failure of the affected wood.

The other options do not accurately represent the behavior and impact of wood-boring beetles. Digging up the ground around trees pertains more to other pests or wildlife, and eating away at leaves and stems is characteristic of foliar feeders, not wood-boring insects. The idea that they pose no significant damage contradicts the established understanding of their destructive nature; in fact, they are considered one of the more harmful categories of pests when it comes to timber and structural integrity.