Woodworm

A common pest in the UK, woodworm is the name given to the larvae of many different species of wood-boring beetle. These little critters can afflict any property whether old or new, and attack both decorative and structural timbers, with severe cases requiring extensive repair work to the building.

The woodworm larvae will reside inside woods and timbers for up to five years, constantly chewing their way through the wood before they pupate and transform into their adult form, finally emerging from the wood to mate and repeat the woodworm life cycle all over again.

Their attacks are varied, depending on the type of beetle and its lifespan, so accurate identification by a surveyor is key to ensuring the correct woodworm treatment.

The wide variety of woodworm beetles that like to deposit their eggs into cracks and crevices in timber can make identifying the signs of woodworm complicated.

Also, despite the adult beetles only appearing from March to August (known as woodworm flight season) the vast majority of damage done to timber occurs during the woodworm larvae stage where they are buried, out of sight, deep in the timber.

With this in mind there are some distinct signs and indicators that you can keep an eye out for in order to identify whether or not your home may be under attack from a woodworm infestation.

• Small exit holes left behind after the emergence of adult woodworm beetles
• Appearance of bore dust or ‘frass’ outside the exit holes.
• Tunnels in the timber.
• Cracked and weakened timber.
• Live or dead beetles around the suspected infected area.

Peter Cox offer a full and comprehensive woodworm treatment solution.

• Initially our industry accredited professional surveyors will locate the infestation, identify accurately the species involved and determine whether it is active or not.
• 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.
• Finally, if  structurally necessary, infested timbers will be cut away and replaced, or economically repaired by skilled joiners using resin repair techniques.