What woodworm looks like?
Woodworm larvae are usually a creamy white colour and have curved bodies. It’s very unlikely you’ll ever actually see woodworm larvae, as they stay hidden chewing away on timber or wood until they are fully-grown. The Adult wood boring beetles looks very different depending on their species: the Common Furniture beetle is a brown winged beetle, typically 3-4mm in length.
What is the Life Cycle of Woodworm
The completed lifecycle of a woodworm takes place over a two to five year period depending on conditions. There are three stages of woodworm development egg laying, hatching/tunnelling, and transformation.
The Egg laying cycle
The woodworm cycle begins when an adult female wood boring beetle lands on any wooden surface and lays her eggs just under the surface in pores, cracks and crevices. Her objective is to secure the eggs in the safest condition possible to give them the best chance of survival. In any given laying cycle, a female can lay anything between 20-50 eggs in a single batch.
Hatching and tunnelling phase
In a matter of weeks the eggs will hatch from the bottom to produce larvae. These small larvae will then burrow and munch their way through the wood for anything between two to five years. Over the course of this time, a single larvae will tunnel continuously which is how large batches of these creatures can seriously damage structural integrity of any timber.
Transformation
As the time passes, the larvae begins to mature and will tunnel its way towards the surface and create a “pupil chamber”. This small room acts as a final staging area where the larvae can rest and begin its transformation into an adult beetle. When the time is right, the newly transformed beetle will bore its way to the surface and fly away, ready to mate with a female and restart the process.
Types of Wood Boring Beetles
Some of the most common wood boring beetles are: Common Furniture beetles, Deathwatch beetles, House Longhorn beetles and Powder Post beetles.
What are the signs of woodworm infestation?
It can be tricky to tell if you have an active woodworm infestation as the main damage is caused inside the timber and you’re unlikely to see any visible results for years. However, there are a number of tell tale signs that can help you identify a potential woodworm infestation:
- Small round holes in your woodwork, typically 1mm to 2mm in diameter
- Fine, powdery dust around these holes (known as frass)
- Crumbly edges to boards and joists
- Tunnels within the timber
- Weak or damaged timbers or flooring
Additional woodworm infestation signs:
Above are some of the main signs of a woodworm infestation, but there are a few others to look out for:
Dead woodworm beetles around window sills
During the summer months (woodworm season is May to October), you may also spot adult wood boring beetles emerging from holes within the timber. Once a wood boring beetle has chewed itself out of hiding, it instinctively heads for light. So check for live or dead beetles around a suspected woodworm infestation and on the windowsills.
The Presence of predatory beetles
Steely Blue beetles are the main predators of the Common Furniture beetle, so if you see them wandering around it’s probably because they’ve found a good food source close by.
Signs of beetle frass
Exit holes are probably the most obvious sign, but they do not occur until the adult beetles are ready to leave the timber, years after hatching as woodworm larvae. So it’s good practice to look for signs of frass on the back or underside of old furniture.
Finding holes and frass on your furniture or flooring isn’t always a cause for concern, they might just be signs of a previous woodworm infestation which has long been dormant. If you are unsure, it’s best to consult a woodworm specialist. In the image below Frass is highlighted in red. It is also on the floor of this attic.
How you can tell if woodworm are active
Judging whether the damage you’ve found is an active woodworm infestation or not is always the hard part.
One popular method for testing for an active woodworm infestation is filling the exit holes with beeswax or tissue paper, leaving it for a year and seeing if any adult beetles bore through in the next year. Whether or not you give this a go, it’s always best to talk to a specialist before going ahead with any treatment.
Where You Can Find Woodworm
Woodworm can be found in all manners of wood surfaces including:
- Floorboards
- Furniture
- Joists/beams
- Roof timbers
- Painted wooden surfaces
- Wooden tools
- Joinery and structural timbers
- Decorative woodwork
- Musical instruments
What Attracts Woodworm?
Different species of wood boring beetles like different types of wood. Some prefer softwoods like pine, spruce and cedar. While others prefer hardwoods such as oak, ash and mahogany. All wood boring beetles like wood that is damp, because it’s easier to chew!
Damp wood
The Common Furniture beetle can be found in both softwoods and hardwoods. Though it has been found in many places, it generally prefers damp floorboards and loft timbers.
Female Furniture beetles tend to choose hardwoods with a moisture content of 28% or higher to give their larvae the best chance of pupating into adults. However, woodworm can be found living in timber down to 12% moisture content. The dryer the wood gets the harder it becomes for them to feed.
Unprotected wood
Unprotected wood with little to no lacquer or protective finish is preferred by wood boring insects like woodworm. This is because exposed wood without varnish is more likely to be kinked, rough and therefore easy to nestle eggs into from a hatching perspective. Secondly, the lack of a sealant protection means that it’s easy for a newly-hatched larvae to quickly bore through the grain.
What woods do woodworm dislike?
Common Furniture larvae will only eat the outer section or ‘sapwood’ of a tree. This is because it has more nutrients and is toxin-free, unlike the inner ‘heartwood’ of timbers like pine and oak. If your furniture is made from good quality heartwood, you are at much lower risk of getting a woodworm infestation. Sapwood is normally lighter than heartwood so you can spot where the high-risk areas are.
Call SWAT now for a free Woodworm Survey 087 1431999