Job of the Month: Check for Woodworm
April has arrived and, as well as that meaning that it's time for another edition of our popular 'Job of the Month' blog series, it also heralds the beginning of woodworm season. From now until early September is prime time for these damaging pests, which become more active as the weather becomes drier and warmer. This 'Job of the Month' blog edition therefore reveals four key ways to spot a woodworm infestation along with a fast, simple and cost-effective solution to it.
Detecting an Infestation of Woodworm
'Woodworm' is actually an umbrella term, used to refer to the larvae of numerous different species of wood-boring insects. Though the most common of these is the appropriately-named furniture beetle, woodworm can in fact live in all types of timber, sometimes for as long as three years. During this larval stage, the woodworm burrow through the wood, eating it as they go.
The larvae then pupate, entering their adult stage as a beetle. These beetles come to the timber surface, where the whole breeding cycle begins again. As they emerge onto the surface, they leave a small hole behind them and it is these holes that you need to look out for if you suspect a woodworm infestation.
The next thing you need to look out for is frass. This is a mixture of very fine sawdust and (look away now if you're squeamish!) beetle poo. If you have noticed small holes in timber as mentioned above, frass is the next thing you need to look out for in the immediate vicinity.
As woodworm larvae burrow thorough timber, it causes the material to become weaker internally. This makes the timber brittle and often results in it flaking. When this sort of damage appears, it often signals an extensive and/or long-term infestation and so is more common in properties of significant age.
Adult beetles are notoriously shy and so they are rarely seen alive. You have far more chance of spotting dead beetles in the vicinity of the affected timber; if you do, then the existence of an infestation is 100% confirmed.
If you have a woodworm infestation then don't panic as fixing the problem is easy with Triple Action Wood Treatment which, designed and developed by leading brand Everbuild, is available to purchase at the most competitive price from Greengates Builders Merchants. Made using Micro-fine active technology which penetrates deeply into the timber, the specialist formula offers lasting protection from woodworm as well as damage caused by fungi, wet rot and dry rot.
Everbuild Triple Action Wood Treatment is available from Greengates Builers Merchant Accrington in four different pack sizes, 1L, 2.5L, 5L or 25L. For more information, please visit the product page on our website, where you will also find details of our other Everbuild products.