What is Woodworm?

Woodworm is one of the most common causes of damage in timber framed buildings and it can have serious structural effects if left untreated. Anobium Punctatum, aka “the common furniture beetle”, is the main perpetrator of woodworm damage in the UK and leaves some easily spotted signs of its activity. However, it is possible to miss an active woodworm infestation in hidden, humid, areas of a home or commercial property such as under floorboards or in lofts.

We provide expert surveys to diagnose the problem and determine if the infestation is active or not, and if necessary, professional treatments specially designed to purge your property of woodworm with the minimum of fuss. Best of all, our wood boring beetle and larvae treatments carry a twenty year guarantee for complete peace of mind. Get in touch with our experts by calling 0800 633 5712 or click the button below to book a survey.

Despite the name, woodworm are not actually worms at all, rather it is the generic name for the larva of certain species of wood boring beetle. These larvae are small, wriggly and white, similar to maggots but slightly bigger with a curved “C-shaped” body. However, it is very rare that you will ever see woodworm larvae, as they tend to stay burrowed in timber until they emerge as a fully grown beetle.
 
Woodworm go through different phases as they undergo their transformation into an adult beetle, the life cycle of woodworm is as follows:
 

1. The adult beetle lays its eggs in crevices and open joints in wood.
2. Larval grub spends years chewing through the wood, feeding on cellulose and leaving it structurally weakened in the process.
3. The larva forms a pupation chamber near the surface where it will transform into a beetle.
4. The adult beetle bores out of wood, mates and finds a wooden surface to begin the process all over again.

If you want to know what a woodworm infestation looks like and whether you have one in your home then we would advise that you check your timbers. Signs of a woodworm infestation can be found anywhere there is timber in the home. Typically that could mean the roof rafters, floor joists, floorboards, skirting boards and of course any wooden furniture.
 
The six signs of woodworm infestation are:

• Exit holes - Where the adult beetle has escaped.
• Frass - A damp material reminiscent of sawdust.
• Tunnels - Where the larvae have munched through the timber.
• Cracking timber - Damage caused by the tunnelling.
• Emerging beetles - In the summer beetles leave to mate.
• Dead beetles - Adult beetles have short lives and will die near to where they emerged.

Identifying the signs of woodworm can be complicated as most people find that they first become aware that they have a woodworm problem when they spot the small round exit holes in their timber. Unfortunately, this alone does not tell you if you still have an active infestation. The biggest indicator of an active and present woodworm problem is evidence of ‘frass’ or bore dust beside the exit hole.

To find out more about the signs of woodworm and identifying active infestation you can visit our signs of woodworm page.

Unfortunately, there are several different varieties of these unwelcome little pests and each has its own particular characteristics that influence the type of timber they will infest, and their life span in the larval stages.

Our guide will describe how to identify the four main species of woodworm beetles found in the UK.

Our treatment process has been ratified by industry trade bodies such as the Property Care Association, Which? Trusted Trader and more to effectively eliminate woodworm in roofs, floors and staircases. With decades of experience solving woodworm problems in properties across the UK, our process gives you complete peace of mind that our woodworm treatment is safe, fast and reliable.

Our full and comprehensive woodworm treatment service includes.

• A survey by a local industry accredited surveyor to locate the infestation, determine whether it is active or not and identify accurately the species involved.
• Once an active woodworm infestation has been positively identified we offer woodworm treatment solutions that can be used on either bare wood OR painted or varnished wood.
• If  structurally necessary, infested timbers will be cut away and replaced, or economically repaired by skilled joiners using resin repair techniques.
• Our treatments are backed by real and meaningful 20 year guarantees.