Woodworm in Fife

Woodworms aren’t very widespread in the UK, but an infestation can be very destructive. Woodworm is the term for 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 inside of damp or rotten wood. When these eggs hatch, small larvae begin 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 in general leave the area to breed. However, they could return to lay eggs. In severe examples, these insects may damage structural elements of a building and this can have serious consequences.

Signs of a woodworm infestation include cracking noises coming from wood in your house or furniture, as well as the visual signs which are the exit holes present in wood and wood dust normally discovered underneath infested wood. Woodworm infestations should be controlled by professional pest control professionals. It could also be necessary to have a structural survey performed as woodworms are generally an indicator of damp. Even if the woodworms have not caused severe damage themselves, the damp or rotten wood that they live in might cause a structural problem in the building.

Woodworm treatment is reasonably straightforward once the affected area has been properly located. The wood can be covered with a liquid or lacquer that may prevent any larvae inside from exiting and suffocate them, or for more substantial infestations fumigation is often used to ensure that the pests are effectively controlled.