WOODWORM IS THE GENERIC TERM USED TO COMMONLY DESCRIBE THE LARVAL STAGE OF WOOD BORING BEETLES THAT ARE

SEEN EERGING BETWEEN APRIL TO OCTOBER. AS SEASONAL PESTS, WOODWORM CAN BE FOUND IN ANY HOUSE WHERE THERE IS EXPOSED TIMBER.

WOODWORM

IN SCOTLAND, THE MOST TYPICAL WOODWORM BEETLE PEST IS THE COMMON FURNITURE BEETLE WHICH CAN GET INTO ANY HOME THROUGH OPEN DOORS, WINDOWS, FRESH AIR VENTS AND GAPS IN THE EVES.

WOODWORM A PROBLEM:
IT IS DUE TO THE WOODWORM LARVAE FEEDING ON TE CELLULOSE WITHINN THE WOOD LEAVING A NETWORK OF TUNNELS THAT CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE TIMBER STRUCTURE WITHIN THE PROPERTY.DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF WOODWORM INFESTATION, IT CAN RESULT IN THE STRUCTURAL TIMBERS OF A PROPERTY LOSING THEIR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY IF WOODWORM TRETMENT IS NOT CARRIED OUT.

HOW WOODWORM INFETSTATION BEGINS?

ITS LIFECYCLE BEGINS WITH THE ADULT BEETLE THAT LOOKS FOR SOMEWHERE TO LEAVE ITS EGGS. THIS COULD BE A DOOR OR WINDOW FRAME, THE END OF A TIMBER BEAMOR TIMBERS WITHIN AN ATTIC SPACE. WHEN THEY TRANSFORM INTO ADULT BEETLES, THEY EAT THEIR WAY OUT OF THE WOOD TO START THE WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN.

HOW TO IDENTIFY WOODWORM ?

SMALL ROUND HOLES IN THE WOODWORK, SIMILAR TO THE HOLES IN A DART BOARD. FINE, POWDERY DUST AROUND THESE HOLES (WHICH IS KNOWN AS FRASS). CRUMBLY EDGES TO THE BOARDS AND JOISTS. ADULT BEETLES EMERGING FROM THE HOLES OR PRESENT AROUND THE HOUSE.

IF YOU CANT SEE THE HOLES, YOU MIGHT ALSO FIND FRASS ESCAPING FROM THE BACK OR UNDERSIDE OF OLD FURNITURE.
WEAK AND DAMAGED TIMBERS OR FLOORING.

THERE IS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT WOODWORM ONLY AFFECTS THE OLDER PROPERTIES BUT INFACT IT CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS.ANY WOODEN STRUCTURE LIKE FURNITURE OR WORKTOP COULD BE INFECTED WITH EGGS OR LARVAE WITHOUT IT BEING NOTICABLE..

LIFECYCLE OF WOODWORM:
THERE ARE 4 MAIN STAGES WOODWORM BEETLES GO THROUGH:
1. 2. WOODWORM BEGINS BREEDING. WOODWORM LARVAE HATCH.

3.
4.

WOODWORM LARVAE START TO EAT.

LARVAE TURN INTO WOODWORM BEETLE.

PICTURE SHOWING THE FRASS AND HOLES IN THE WOOD IN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE HOUSE BY THE WOODWORMS AND ALSO SHOWING THE THE PROCESS THAT HOW EGGS ARE LAYED AND THEN EGGS BECOME LARVAE AND FINALLY BECOMES BEETLES WHICH THEN START EATING WOOD.

TYPES OF WOODWORM BEETLES:

WOODWORM IS NOT CAUSED BY JUST ONE TYPE OF WOODWORM BEETLE. THERE ARE ACTUALLY SEVERAL TYPES OF WOODWORM BEETLES THAT CAN BE FOUND.

1.

WOODWORM BEETLE 1- COMMOM FURNITURE BEETLE:

THE MOST COMMON FORM OF WOODWORM BEETLE IS THE COMMON FURNITURE BEETLE THE COMMON WOOD BORING BEETELE MEASURING 2.7-4.5MM IN LENGTH. THIS WOODWORM BEETKE ATTACKS SOFTWOOD SPECIES OF TIMBERLEAVING 1-2MM EXIT HOLES. IT GENERALLY PREFERS DAMP, RATHER THAN DRY WOOD AND THE GRUB WILL HEAD AND STAYS IN, PLYWOOD FOR LONGER THAN ANOTHER TIMBER. AREAS WHERE THE COMMON FURNITURE BEETLE IS FOUND: DAMP FLOORBOARDS, DAMP LOFT TIMBERS AND OLD FURNITURE WHERE THE POLISHED FINISH HAS WORN OFF,

THESE ARE GENERLLY THE GOOD AREAS WHERE THE COMMON

FURNITURE BEETLE CAN BE FOUND. THEY LAY EGGS ON THE TIMBER AND THE GRUBS DO THE DAMAGE.

2. WOODWORM BEETLE 2 DEATH WATCH BEETLE:

THE DEATH WATCH WOODWORM BEETLE IS A WOODBORING

BEETLE APPROX. 7MM LONG WITH LARVAE GROWING UPTO 11MM LONG. TO ATTRACT MATES, THESE WOODBORERS CREATE A TAPPING OR TICKING SOUND THAT CAN BE HEARED IN OLD BUILLDINGS DURING QUIET SUMMER NIGHTS. THESE WOODWORMS MUCH PREFERS VERY DAMP CONDITIONS WHICH ARE IMPROVED WHEN THERE IS SOME KIND OF FUNGAL DECAY SUCH AS WET ROT IN THE TIMBERS. THE BEETLE NEEDS THESE CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY. AREAS WHERE DEATH WATCH BEETLE IS FOUND: THEY GENERALLY PREFERS EUROPEAN HARDWOODS,

ESPECIALLY OAK, ASH AND CHESTNUT, THAT HAVE BEEN

SOFTENED WITH DRY ROT OR WET ROT. THE LARVAE TEND TO TUNNEL TOWARDS THE CENTRE OF THE TIMBER RESULTING IN DAMAGE THAT MAY BE ORE EXTENSIVE THAN IS APPARENT FROM THE EXTERIOR.

WOODWORM BEETLE 3- HOUSE LONGHORN BEETLE:

ORIGINATING IN EUROPE, THESE BEETLES IS NOW FOUND AROUND

WORLD. UNLIKE OTHER WOODWORM BEETLES, ONLY LARVAE OF HOUSE LONGHORNBEETLES FEED ON WOOD. THE WOODWORM LARVAE USUALLY MATURES IN THE SPRING & THE MATURE ADULTS THEN CUT HOLES 6-10MM IN DIAMETER TO EXIT THE WOODS., THEY ARE TYPICALLY BLACK OR BROWN WITH GREYISH HAIR ON THEIR UPPER BODIESAND WING CASES. AREAS WHERE THE HOUSE LONGHORN BEETLE IS FOUND: IT IS PRICIPALLY FOUND IN ROOF TIMBERS WHERE IT ATTACKS

THE SAPWOOD OF EXCLUSIVELY SOFTWOOD SPECIES OFTEN

RESULTING IN SERVE STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS. THE HOLES AND TUNNELS OF THESE BEETLES AARE SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN THE COMMON FURNITURE BEETLE.

WOODWORM BEETLE 3- POWDERPOST BEETLE:

THIS BEETLE IS TYPICALLY FOUND IN TIMBER CONTAINING ADEQUATE STARCH. THIS BEETLE IS VERY SMALL APPROX. 1-7 MM.
AREAS WHERE THE POWDERPOST BEETLE IS FOUND:

THEY GENERALLY ORIGINATES IN TIMBER YARDS, STOCKYARDS OR STOREROOMS, HOWEVER POWDERPOST WOODWORM BEETLE CAN ALSO CAUSE DAMAGE TO FURNITURE, SPORTS EQUIPMENT, WOODBLOCK FLOORS. BUT THEY DO NOT ENTER VARNISHED, PAINTED, OR TREATED WOODS. WOODWORM CONTROL TIPS: A GOOD SUGGESTION IS TO BLOCK THE WOODWORM HOLES DURING THE WINTERBY PAINTING WITH A COAT OF EMULSION OR APPLYING MASKING TAPE. IN SPRING, YOU CAN CHECK IF ANY WOODWORM BEETLES HAVE BEEN EMERGED& THEREFORE DETERMINE WHETHER YOU HAVE ACTIVE WOODWORM IN TIMBER. KEEP HUMIDITY LEVELS LOW & ENSURE WOOD LEVEL IS WELL VENTILATED. TO HELP CONTROL A WOODWORM PROBLEM, ENSURE THAT THE HUMIDITY IS MAINTAINED AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

TO CONTROL THE SPREAD OF WOODWORM, REMOVE PIECES OF TIMBER OF FURNITURE OR NON-STRUCTURAL TIMBER THAT ARE WOODWORM INFESTED. INSTALL ELECTRIC FLY TRAPS IN LOFT SPACES & UNDER-VENTILATED

AREAS TO KILL EMERGING ADULT WOODWORM BEETLES IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.

WOODWORM TREATMENT:
THE FIRST STEP TO WOODWORM TREATMENT IS TO FULLY ESTABLISH THE EXTENT OF WOODWORN INFESTATION. ONCE THE EXTENT OF THE WOODWORM IS KNOWN AN APPROPRITE WOODWORM TREATMENT CAN BE RECOMMENDED. WHEN WOODWORM INFESTATION ARE NOT SEVERE, NORMALLY ON THE SURFACE OF THE TIMBERS NEED TO BE TREATED TO KILL ANY EMERGING WOODWORM BEETLES & PREVENT IT FROM MATING & LAYING MORE EGGS WITHIN THE TIMBER. FOR MORE SERIOUS WOODWORM CASES, THEN IT IS NECESSARY TO INTRODUCE A RANGE OF CHEMICAL TREATMENTS OR FUMIGATION. FOR MOST SEVERE INSTACE WHERE A WOODWORM REVEALS DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE TIMBER, IT IS NECESSARY TO REPLACE PART OR ALL THE AFFECTED TIMBERS.

CHEMICAL (WOODWORM KILLER) TIMBER WHEN TREATMENT IS NOT DONE. TIMBER AFTER TREATMENT IS NOT DONE.