Those telltale small holes in a beam. A patch of powdery dust beneath a joist. A rickety piece of wooden furniture. Where woodworm is concerned, it’s easy for the mind to jump straight to worst-case scenarios about structural integrity and internal damage.
But woodworm can be dealt with, and it’s less hassle than you might think (no, you shouldn’t have to replace your timber). The important thing is to correctly identify whether you’ve got an active woodworm infestation, how far it’s spread, and what attracted them to your timber to begin with. Once you understand the method to their madness, you can understand how to stop them coming back.
Despite the name, woodworm isn’t actually a worm at all. It’s the larval stage of several wood boring beetle species. The most common culprit is the common furniture beetle, although other species like house longhorn beetles may also be responsible.
In the woodworm lifecycle, most of the damage to your wood is invisible. First, an adult beetle lays eggs on a crack, joint, or exposed wooden surface. They are attracted to dampness, so this will likely be wood that is exposed to roof leaks, condensation, poor ventilation, or other long-term moisture problems. When the larvae hatch, they burrow into the timber and feed on it from the inside out.
This goes on for 2-5 years (we know!), until the beetle emerges, leaving behind those exit holes you have likely spotted. That’s why by the time you notice the signs, they’ve been developing for a long time already.
Woodworm is easy to spot once you know what you’re looking for, but it does require some interpretation to understand whether the damage is in the past or a sign of current activity.
If you suspect woodworm is present, first check lost spaces, roof timbers, floorboards, joists, understairs cupboards, and any stored or second-hand furniture. Look for:
• Small, round exit holes in beams, floorboards or wooden furniture
• Fine powdery dust, called frass, around the holes or beneath the timber (especially if it looks fresh)
• Weakened or crumbling wood
• An adult beetle near affected timber
Full woodworm treatment requires a full inspection. We need to know what species is involved, how widespread the problem is, whether the timber is only surface-affected, and if there’s any concern about structural integrity.
The treatment process is normally straightforward. After inspection, the affected timber is cleaned back, and a professional insecticidal treatment is applied. It soaks into the wood and reaches into areas where larvae are active.
If you have a more severe or specialist case, deeper treatment methods may be needed, and if the infestation has left timber weakened or unstable, it will need to be replaced after addressing the damp or underlying cause. The affected section will be cut out and replaced with sound new timber. Thankfully, most domestic cases don’t get that far.
DIY treatment is never a good idea. The products used must be handled very carefully, with good ventilation and protective clothing. Lack of vigilance here can lead to damage to yourself or your home. Also, we often see people treat only what is visible without addressing the surrounding conditions (i.e. the cause of their damp wood), carrying out a full inspection, or understanding the state of the infestation.
Where there’s any doubt about spread or severity, safe is better than sorry. It is a horrible feeling to live in a home you don’t know is structurally sound, but we can help. We’ve been tackling all sorts of cases with woodworm, insects, and other pests for over 30 years, and are fully BPCA-certified. We can conduct a thorough inspection of your timber, deal with what’s there, and fix anything that might make them come back later, all for a guaranteed fixed price. Call us today at 0117 313 5752, or book in a visit online.
Woodworm doesn’t appear for no reason. Beetles are looking for a suitable place with the right conditions to lay eggs. This means dampness, low disturbance from humans, still air, and a lack of protective coating. If the conditions stay the same, treatment won’t matter; another woodworm will just come along next season and start the cycle again.
People understandably miss this when they try treating woodworm themselves. They focus on the visible damage, not on why the timber became such an easy target in the first place.
To prevent woodworm long-term, you have to make your timber inhospitable to them:
• If there’s a leak, condensation issue or stale loft space, deal with that. Wood needs to be dry, not just to protect against insects but also fungi and rot, which can cause health issues, especially in people with allergies and respiratory problems like asthma.
• Make sure there is good airflow and ventilation, even in places like cellars and eaves. Timber needs to breathe to stay dry.
• Check any second-hand furniture you bring into your home for signs of infestation, particularly the joints, undersides, and back panels.
• Protect exposed wood with a sealant, whether paint, varnish, or wax. This will stop beetles from being able to bore into it.
Woodworm are stealthy critters. Most of their havoc happens out of sight, and by the time you spot the signs, the damage has probably been building for years already, which is why it pays to deal with it properly and resolve the underlying causes the first time around, so you’re not stuck with the same problem again a year from now.
If you want to get to the bottom of things and get peace of mind that your home is structurally sound, get in touch. And for more bitesize pest control and prevention advice, see our blog and our Facebook page.
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