Lifecycle of the Woodworm
March 17, 2008The Woodworm Lifecycle
- For the purpose of this explanation we have made the assumption that the beetle that lands on the timber is a pregnant female.
- The female beetle starts the woodworm lifecycle process by laying her eggs directly into the timber through cracks, crevices and existing flight holes. To protect the eggs they are not left on the surface of the timber.
- After a few weeks the eggs hatch downwards into the timber and produce larvae – this is the worm stage of the infestation.
- The worm, or larval stage, carries on for any where between 2 and 5 years. In that time the larvae eats its way up and down the timbers and causes the structural damage to the timber. It is at this stage in the lifecycle that the frass, or dust, that is associated with woodworm is produced.
- Towards the end of its lifecycle it forms a pupal chamber where it enlarges the tunnelling towards the surface of the timber and pupates from the larval stage into an adult beetle. The adult beetle then eats its way through the last thin veneer of timber producing the round exit holes that you normally see. From here on in the beetle causes very little further damage to the timber. It is the round exit holes that normally identify timber that has been subjected to beetle infestation. The females live for between 10 and 14 days where as their male counterparts only live between 3 and 4 days. Once the adult male beetles have emerged from the chamber there sole purpose is to mate with as many female partners in their short lifespan and the lifecycle continues.
Here we see a photographic representation of the lifecycle of the woodworm
The beetles eggs placed in the end grain of the timber.
The larvae or worm stage of the lifecycle.
The pupal chamber showing pupating larvae
Finally the adult Common Furniture Beetle. As the name suggest this beetle is the most common in the UK and can be identified by its distinguishing features such as its “hooded pro-thorax”
Woodworm – Associated Links
Download our Woodworm Solutions Leaflets
Request a woodworm survey for Woodworm Solutions
View our on-line RIBA CPD Woodworm and fungal decay seminar
Very interesting – I have bought an old French Walnut bed– It has exit hole and is supposed to have been treated – bu in the last few days i have killed about 10 beetles . Somehow they must be coming from the bed! The bed in in an empty room. But i cannot see any dust. I have treated as many of the hole i can see with rentokill – I wonder if this will stop them???
Firstly it is important to indentify the species of beetle. It may be that they are common furniture beetle but there are other beetles that look similar but live in other things.
Second,there should be some dust around or below the exit holes, but it is possible that the beetles sre emerging somewhere else entirely.
If you can get some of the beetles posted to our Sherborne office ,we can identify them. It is best if they are sent in a small box or they get crushed to nothing!
Mike Dunn (Surveyor at Timberwise Sherborne)