Woodworm in County Down

Woodworms aren’t very common in the UK, but an infestation can be very destructive. Woodworm refers to the larvae stage of a number of different species of beetle, the most common of which is the Common Furniture Beetle. These pest insects lay their eggs within damp or rotten wood. When these eggs hatch, small larvae start to consume the wood around them, which is what leads to the holes in wood. The exit holes are made as the larvae transforms into an adult beetle which then leaves the wood. The beetles are capable of flying and will typically leave the area to breed. However, they could return to lay eggs. In extreme conditions, these insects can damage structural components of a building and this can have severe effects.

Signs of a woodworm infestation include cracking noises coming from wood in your home or furniture, as well as the visual signs which are the exit holes found in wood and wood dust typically found beneath infested wood. Woodworm infestations should be managed by expert pest control professionals. It could also be necessary to have a structural survey carried out as woodworms are often an indicator of damp. Even if the woodworms have not caused severe damage themselves, the damp or rotten wood that they live in could cause a structural problem in the building.

Woodworm treatment is reasonably straightforward once the affected area has been correctly located. The wood can be coated with a liquid or lacquer that will block any larvae inside from exiting and suffocate them, or for more extensive infestations fumigation is often used to ensure that the pests are successfully controlled.