Woodworm season is upon us, so it seems right that the team of property care experts at Timberwise should give you a heads up to prepare you for the emergence of the famous wood boring insect.
What Time of Year Do Woodworm Emerge?
Woodworm season usually begins between the months of March and April; however, this does come with a condition.
The condition is that the climate needs to be right. Woodworm like the warm weather, so if you are looking for a specific point at which woodworm begin to be active, start paying attention once it starts to get warm (and stay warm) between March and April. Once the climate is warmer and stays that way, you can expect woodworm to start their yearly life cycle.
Common Facts You Need to Know About Woodworm
The term ‘woodworm’ is just a loose moniker, one that can apply to a variety of wood-boring insects. This means that whilst two properties might simultaneously suffer from a woodworm infestation, those two properties could have separate species of beetle damaging their timber.
However, some species of woodworm are more common in the UK than others. If you want to know the most common species of woodworm that inhabits the UK, then the answer (unsurprisingly) is the Common Furniture Beetle. Its Latin name is Anobium Punctatum, and despite the layman’s name, this beetle won’t restrict its life cycle just to your furniture.
The Common Furniture Beetle will certainly, if left untreated, spread to as much timber within your property as it possibly can within its life cycle, spreading themselves and their offspring as they go.
If untreated, this could be disastrous for your property’s health in regard to its timber. The signs of a woodworm infestation vary depending on the type of woodworm infesting the property. However, there are some common indications to look out for.
Signs of a Woodworm Infestation
- Small, round exit holes can be found in the timber. The size and shape of the exit holes are a good indication of the type of infesting beetle.
- Powdery sawdust found under, within, or around the exit holes. This sawdust is known as frass, and is actually a waste product of the woodworm within the timber.
- The infested wood will become weak, dry, and brittle to the touch. This damage and degradation of the timber is a direct result of the woodworm eating through the wood.
- You may well be able to find woodworm emerging from the exit holes during their mating season. You might also find dead beetles around the exit holes in infested areas as well.
We at Timberwise take great pride in being respected property care experts. With accreditations from Which? Trusted Traders, the PCA, and more all backing up our position within the property care market; we mean it when we say we are good with wood!
For over fifty years, our team has been associated with the identification and the eradication of woodworm within properties due to effective and expert treatment. If you are unsure about any aspect of woodworm within your property, then just get in touch with our woodworm specialists.
Our team will be able to identify the nature and intensity of any woodworm infestation within your property and propose a woodworm treatment that will remove the pest from your property entirely. The most common form of treatment used by our remedial specialists is a micro-emulsion insecticide, which is brushed or sprayed onto any areas of infestation by our experts. Once the treatment is completed, our team can look into potential timber repair and replacement options to ensure that your properties’ timber stays healthy.
For more information on woodworm, Timberwise, and the different services we provide, please feel free to contact us for help, advice, or to book a survey.
