Woodworm are destructive creatures.
They mainly cause problems to:
Floorboards
Joinery
Structural timbers such as floor joists and rafters – this can cause serious structural damage to a building
What is Woodworm?
Woodworm is a more common term used to describe the larvae of furniture beetle.
How To Tell If You Have Woodworm.
Usually, the tell-tale sign is holes appearing in wooden surfaces.
Often this will be accompanied by a pile of wood dust underneath. If the hole is fresh the wood inside will normally be clean white wood.
The holes are made by emerging adult beetles but behind the scenes immature grubs may be tunnelling their way through the wood causing more destruction.
What Does Furniture Beetle Look Like?
Adult furniture beetle are around 3mm to 6mm long. They are small brown insects which fly.
They lay their eggs on wood and their grubs bore directly into the wood where they remain for around three years before they emerge as adult beetles.
The adults usually emerge around May and September.
Common Ways Woodworm Access Properties.
Second-hand furniture items
Tea chests
Wicker items
Via dead branches of nearby trees – beetles are able to fly through open windows.
How is Woodworm Treated?
Furniture affected by woodworm is usually treated by coating all surfaces with a woodworm treatment.
The fluid may also be injected into exit holes. An insecticide polish may also be used as a precaution.
Structural timbers must first be cleaned; it may also be necessary to remove insulation to expose joists so they can also be cleaned and treated.
Similarly, floorboards may be lifted to treat the underneath and floor joists. It is usually sensible to to leave structural woodworm to the experts rather than performing DIY treatments.
PGM and Son are a local family run pest control service, we love nothing more than helping people solve their pest problems, call us today on 01981 540088 for help, support and guidance.
If you prefer, you can email us at contact@pgmpestcontrol.co.uk or you can use the live chat facility on our website.
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