Woodworm - Identification and Treatment
Woodworm holes found in timber are caused by the larvae of beetles that feed on the timber. Larger holes on the surface of the timber are formed when the adult beetle emerges from the timber to mate.
There are a number of species of woodworm, and the precise method of treatment will depend on which species is attacking the timber.
Common Furniture Beetle
By far the most common species of woodworm in the UK is the Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum). This species can be identified by the small, round holes that are left on the surface of the timber (approx. 1.5 - 2mm diameter) and the "gritty" bore-dust that it leaves behind (showing up as lemon-shaped pellets under magnification).
|
|
 |
Beetle (enlarged) |
|
Larva (enlarged) |
In most cases treatment of Common Furniture Beetle is fairly straightforward. Any structurally-weakened timber should be removed and replaced with pre-treated timber. All surfaces of the affected timber should then be sprayed with an appropriate woodworm treatment, such as ProBor DB.
Other Types of Woodworm
Other types of woodworm common to the UK include the Deathwatch Beetle (Xestobium rufuvillosum), the House Longhorn Beetle (Hylotrupes bajulus), and the Powderpost beetle (Lyctus brunneus). Whilst the Powderpost Beetle can be treated in much the same way as the Common Furniture Beetle, House Longhorn and Deathwatch beetle infestations require more extensive treatment - for details, please contact our technical department on 01403 210204.
The main problems encountered when treating woodworm are identifying the species involved, deciding whether the infestation is still active, and deciding which timbers have been structurally weakened and need replacing. All of these factors will influence the type of treatment carried out (if any). For this reason, we would recommend that a survey is carried out by an experienced timber treatment company whenever an active woodworm infestation is suspected. For details of such companies in your area, contact our technical department.
Free Woodworm Identification Guide
 A guide to the identification of woodworm species common in the UK can be downloaded free of charge from the "Download Datasheets" section of this page in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format.
Information given for each species includes: types of timbers attacked, types of damage, life cycle, and notes on identification.
Related Pages
Visit our case studies page for a complete list of case studies available on this website.
ProBor timber treatments can be specified under the following clauses:
|
