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.
Spotting The Common furniture beetle
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.
The most common type of woodworm is the Common Furniture Beetle.Damage is easily identified by a peppering of tiny holes in the surface of the wood.
It attacks softwood timber and prefers damp, rather than dry wood and the grub prefers plywood to any other timber but damp floorboards, damp loft timbers and old furniture where the polished finish has worn off,are all targets for the beetle. The beetle lays its eggs on the timber and the grubs do the damage. Woodworm leave a scattering of tiny dust piles on the timber. Structural weakening is rare with the furniture beetle, except in timbers whose cross section is small and there is a lot of damp.
Treatment
In most cases treatment of Common Furniture Beetle is fairly straightforward. Any structurally-weakened timber should be removed and replaced with pre-treated timber and the rest treated.
How do I treat woodworm (The Common furniture beetle) A safe treatment to apply that has no effect on other insects or mammals (Remember Bats are a protected species) are Boron-based preservatives,. It is applied as two coats by brush or spray and soaks quickly into the timber. It is permanent and some brands have no vapour or smell.
Wet rot tips, Dry rot tips on this website.
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For heavily infested areas of timber, and damp patches, use Boron Ultra Gel or similar as well, to reduce the risks of rot and provide extra active ingredient.
Pet birds and fish are not at risk from Boron-based preservatives, but are from Permethrin based products, (found in most DIY stores) if you keep pets, particularly fish ? Permethrin is lethal to fish in minute quantities. Always read the labels and consult an expert if you are not sure how bad the infected area is. Also bear in mind their are two other types of Wood worm.
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