Meet “The Expert”  – This man of mystery is an experienced consultant with a wealth of knowledge to share. In this article we look briefly at the different kinds of woodworm found in the UK and look at the different characteristics of them.

The term ‘woodworm’ is a generic term which covers attack by any wood boring insect.  In the UK there are a number of wood boring insects which can infect timbers in properties.  However, others which attack trees and logs in forests and woodlands cannot infest or survive in seasoned timber but in such cases the ‘pre-attacked’ timber can be incorporated into buildings where it will present no problem as the infestation is no longer present.

Set out below are some details of wood boring insects which are most commonly encountered attacking seasoned timber in buildings and which, depending on their state, may need treatment.

Common Furniture beetle (Anobium punctatum)

In appearance the Common Furniture Beetle is a small dark reddish brown beetle. Damage caused by the Common Furniture Beetle is by far the most common woodworm damage encountered. The beetles attacks sapwood of softwood and European hardwoods. The attack is most severe in damp and fast grown timbers.

The Common Furniture Beetle

Deathwatch Beetle

Wood boring weevil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powder Post beetle (Lyctus brunneus)

 

A mid reddish brown beetle  the damage it makes looks similar to Common Furniture Beetle damage, the holes being of similar size.

Powder Post beetle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

House Longhorn beetle (Hylotrupes bajulus)

 

A large beetle black to dark brown in colour with long antennae. This insect is VERY localised to the south-east of England, centred around the Camberley area. House Longhorn beetle can cause severe structural damage.

House Longhorn Beetle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As described above, some damage to wood may have been caused by ‘forest’ wood boring insects.  Even where timbers have been infected within a property some wood borers are regarded as innocuous and do not require treatment, and in some cases an infestation has simply died out.

It is therefore important that the specialist surveyor can recognize the particular insect causing or has caused the damage, whether it is a forest insect or innocuous, or even if once active infestation has died out and therefore requires no further attention.

At Timberwise all our surveyors are fully conversant with the wide range of wood boring insects found in the UK, and most important, whether the infestation needs treatment or not.  We are fully aware of limiting preservative treatments to only those situations which are necessary, thus we only carry out works where is essential thereby minimising costs and disruption to the client but still maintaining the integrity of the timber.

If you suspect you have a woodworm infestation don’t panic! Call 0800 991100 to speak to one of our woodworm experts or click to arrange a survey.

 

Watch out woodworm are about! Important woodworm information for home owners.

Now that the warmer months are upon us we are beginning to see more cases of woodworm infestation in property. To help home owners have a better understanding about
woodworm and the life cycle of the woodworm we have produced a short video that shows clearly the life cycle of the woodworm.

Here is the life cycle explained in a little more detail: For the purpose of this illustration we have made the assumption that the beetle that lands on the timber is a pregnant female.

1. The female beetle starts the life cycle 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.
2. After a few weeks the eggs hatch downwards into the timber and produce larvae  – this is the worm stage of the infestation. This 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 life cycle that the frass, or dust, that is associated with woodworm is produced.
3. Towards the end of its life cycle 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 life cycle continues.

If you suspect you have a woodworm infestation don’t panic! Simply call our woodworm experts on 0800 99 11 00 or click to arrange a survey.

The Truth about Woodworm from the woodworm experts – Timberwise

Debate has raged about the scale of the woodworm problem and whether central heating controls it for many years.

Now the matter can finally be settled by the publication of actual data collated by Paul Carter CTIS CRDS A. Inst. MBM of Premier Heritage, the historical and period property division of Timberwise.

Claims that woodworm is effectively no longer a problem and that central heating controls woodworm are now demolished. It is now clear that woodworm remains a widespread threat to the nation’s homes and architectural heritage. It is also clear that woodworm is not controlled by central heating – and there is even the prospect that central heating actually makes the problem worse.

To find out more about the study read on or visit our web pages dedicated to woodworm.

The Truth about Woodworm Study:

Media reports that the use of central heating creates conditions unsuitable for the survival of woodworm in housing appeared with increasing frequency in the early part of the decade. It was further suggested that as a consequence the incidence of woodworm activity in houses had become rare.
No data or other scientific works were advanced to support the postulations, which on the one hand gained apparent credibility by repetition but on the other were dismissed as being  counter-intuitive and unsupported by anecdotal evidence.
Investigations and data collations were conducted by Premier Heritage, the historical & period property division of Timberwise, with the purpose of 1, establishing whether or not data supported the hypotheses propounded in the media and 2, if they were, supported to investigate whether central heating could be employed as an active medium for the eradication  of woodworm infestations in houses.
The findings are contained below:

Methodology

‘Woodworm’ can mean any wood-boring beetle, but is generally used to refer to the Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum).
Surveys of properties were conducted in 2001 and preliminary findings published. Further surveys were conducted in 2002, 2003, (resources were not available in 2004) and 2005.

The beetle activity was denoted by the presence of new emergence holes and insect frass.
In 2001, 2002 and 2003, each property was the subject of examination of roof and ground floor timbers. Not all ground floor timbers were available for monitoring. In 2005 only roof voids were investigated.

Where properties had central heating systems, they had been installed for over 20 years and the effects of such heating would have been well established. Surveys were carried out when heating systems would have been in full use.
Further data recorded included the relative humidity in the roof voids and moisture content of the timbers.

When a listed prefabricated property was in need of a survey of its timbers the owners called upon Dorset based Timberwise at Sherborne to provide expert advice on eradicating woodworm and treating fungal decay.

Corrugated house in Sherborne

The house, which dates back to the late 1800’s  is one of the last few examples standing of a full sized corrugated iron house in the UK. Originally these pre fabricated buildings were designed for export to part of the ‘Empire” so to have one in such good condition in the UK is exceptionally rare. Originally from London the property was transported by rail to Sherborne and erected in 1889 where it was the home of a local pharmacist.
The property is of timber frame construction, clad with tin and pannelled inside with match wood. Our woodworm survey discovered activity of woodworm in some lower parts of the timber which will benefit from our woodworm treatments.  These treatments will help make this historic local house remain a local feature for many years to come.
For more information on woodworm and our woodworm eradication visit our woodworm pages or call 0800 99 11 00.

The Woodworm Lifecycle

1. For the purpose of this explanation we have made the assumption that the beetle that lands on the timber is a pregnant female.
2. The female beetle starts the 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.
3. After a few weeks the eggs hatch downwards into the timber and produce larvae – this is the worm stage of the infestation.
4. 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.
5. 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 survey for Woodworm Solutions

View our on-line RIBA CPD Woodworm and fungal decay seminar