Woodworm
Woodworm is the commonly used term for a number of wood boring insects which lay their eggs on or in timber and whose larvae bore through the wood leaving a network of tunnels, damaging and weakening the structure.
Woodworm attack is varied - both in the type of timber which different species infest and their larval life-span which can range from ten months to 11 years. This means that accurate identification by the surveyor is the first essential step because not all infestations need treatment. Depending on the wood boring insect involved, the timber treatment would consist of the application of an appropriate professional product. For Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum) we treat using a professional micro-emulsion insecticidal formulation which is applied by a pressure sprayer or brush. It has only a minor odour and the area is safe to re-enter in 1 - 2 hours after treatment. The treatment of Death Watch Beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum)requires a more rigorous approach, and we use a dual purpose gel that combines Boron with Permethrin which allows a much deeper penetration of the infested timbers.
The 4 main woodworm species are:-
Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum)
This beetle is largely responsible for about 75% of damage to property and attacks the sapwood of softwood and European hardwoods. The attack is most severe in damp and fast grown timbers. The tunnels tend to run with the grain of the wood and the insect exit holes are round and approximately 1.5mm - 2mm in diameter.
House Longhorn Beetle (Hylotrupes bajulus)
The largest and most damaging but restricted mainly to the southern Home Counties.
Wood Boring Weevil (Pentarthrum huttoni)
Normally associated with damp timber and wet rot decay.
Death Watch Beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum)
Attacks hardwood and a damaging borer in old buildings such as churches. Death Watch Beetle is often associated with damp timbers, however, once established it can survive in timbers which are subject to normal atmospheric moisture. Death Watch Beetle can be detected by the presence of large beetle exit holes in the timbers, possibly live beetles seen on the timbers between mid March to June, and the distinctive 'tapping noise' associated with its mating ritual. Death Watch Beetles attack hardwoods e.g. oak, beech, chestnut and walnut.