Greengate's to Reopen in Time for Woodworm Season!

Greengate's, your local builders merchant, is extremely pleased to announce that our premises will reopen for business on Tuesday 21st April. To ensure that adherence to current government guidelines on social distancing is maintained, we will be operating a strictly-controlled service with appropriate restrictions in place.

Before we move on to the main subject of this week's blog edition, everyone at Greengate's would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to NHS staff and all key workers for looking after us all during these troubled, uncertain times.

The weather across much of the UK recently has been sunny and warm. Though this of course has many beneficial effects for humans, it also signals the onset of woodworm season. In this edition of the Greengate's blog, we share four top tips on how to spot a woodworm infestation along with a proven solution to stop it dead in its tracks.

1. Small holes in timber. The larvae (collectively referred to as 'woodworm') of several wood-boring insects can live within timber for as long as three years. During this time, they burrow incessantly through the timber's internal structure, eating it as they go. After the larvae have pupated, they emerge from within the timber as adult beetles, leaving behind a small but noticeable hole in it.
2. Frass. The term 'frass' refers to the fine powdered sawdust that escapes from a hole that a beetle has emerged from. If holes are discovered that correspond to the description given above, the immediate next step should be to search close to the holes for signs of frass. This will help to confirm that there is an active woodworm infestation present. 
3. Damaged timber. The constant burrowing of larvae through timber causes the material to become internally weakened. Eventually, this weakness begins to show at the timber surface, making it brittle and flaky. Such damaged timber is commonly noticed in long-term infestations that have not yet been addressed. 
4. Beetles. Adult wood-boring beetles are particularly shy and so are rarely seen alive. You're much more likely to find dead specimens close to infested timber.

Greengate's is a proud supplier of Cromar Woodworm & Dry Rot Killer, designed to effectively eradicate woodworm infestations and prevent them from recurring. Find out all of the crucial details about this bestselling product on our website.

Our premises will be open from Monday to Friday from 8am-4pm, with a short lunch break from 12pm-12:30pm when we will be closed. We will also be open on Saturdays from 8am-12pm. As always, you can get in touch with our skilled technical team directly if you have any questions or need expert advice.