Woodworm

We all know the tell tale signs of the dreaded woodworm: tiny pin prick sized holes in our woodwork. It is enough to strike fear into the heart of any homeowner. You very quickly realise that it is a problem you can't ignore and that treatment will be required. You may think that you need to get an expert in to fix the problem of woodworm, but you can treat it yourself quite successfully and it is much easier than you might have thought.

Woodworm are not worms at all, in fact they are tiny insects which are born from larvae which look a little like small worms. The larvae are hatched inside the wood and when they emerge they cause bore holes in the surface. Sometimes you will also see dust from the holes as they bore their way out. Generally you can expect to see these insects during the summer.

Also known as the common furniture beetle. The woodworm likes to live inside damp wood, floorboards, old furniture and in loft rafters. They take their time to infect your wood and will not cause a great deal of damage in a short space of time. By they are still best treated as soon as possible.

If you fear that enough damage has been done to the wood to cause it to be unstable, then you should have it properly checked by a surveyor or replace damaged sections yourself.

Ensuring that you keep all wooden areas in your home free from damp is one of the first steps to take to prevent woodworm in your home. Simply making sure that leaks are corrected and that damp courses are doing their job will help prevent them finding damp wood to live in.

Quite often woodworm will get into a house on second hand furniture, even antiques. Before purchasing anything wooden you should check for the bore holes and avoid bringing it into the home until it has been treated.

Treatment is fairly straightforward. You can tell if the holes you are seeing are the result of an active infestation by looking out for fresh holes or new dust around the infected area. A professional will be able to confirm this for you if you are unsure. If much damage has been done then you should replace the wood and treat the surrounding area.

DIY stores sell preparations for woodworm. You can inject the fluid into the holes and paint the surface with an insecticidal polish.

The other two main types of wood attack are from the Longhorn beetle and the Death Watch beetle and these need to be treated by the injection method. In many cases this should only be carried out by a professional as treatment needs to be very thorough. Other types of beetle may be eradicated by a simple spraying solution, but the correct type of beetle needs to be identified first.

Follow all instructions carefully and wear protective clothing as required. A cheaper and more environmentally friendly method is to paint the surface with borax. This will fill in the holes and prevent the insects from coming out to breed.

Some treatments can be potentially harmful for the user and those living in your home, so only experts should apply these.