Woodworm

Woodworm affects thousands of properties every year, and if left untreated, woodworm infestations can cause significant damage to your property. Woodworm refers to the larvae of any wood-boring beetle, rather than one particular species.

Woodworm larvae will tunnel through furniture, decorative timber and structural timber, meaning that joists, beams and floorboards are at risk.

If you are worried about woodworm affecting your property, we have put together a thorough guide on how to spot a woodworm problem, and the next steps involved.

Peter Cox are the go-to specialists for woodworm and have been providing expert advice and long term solutions for homeowners, commercial clients and social housing providers across the country since 1951.

We have a number of qualified surveyors working from our network of local branches, meaning we can be on hand to diagnose the type of woodworm affecting your property, and provide you with recommendations for treatments, but only if necessary.

With over 70 years’ experience in woodworm treatments, we combine industry-leading standards with local expertise, leaving you with peace of mind the problem is solved.

Woodworm is the common name given to the larvae of various wood-boring beetles that can infest and damage your property.

These beetles lay their eggs on wood, and when the larvae hatch, they tunnel through the timber, feeding on the cellulose within the wood. This feeding process during a woodworm infestation weakens the timber, making it less structurally sound.

Over time this can cause severe damage to furniture and skirting boards, while damage to joists, beams and floor boards can often remain hidden and out of sight.

Because of this, it's crucial for homeowners to recognise the signs of a woodworm problem so they can treat the infestation early and protect their homes from potential damage.

While there are various types of woodworm that affect properties across the United Kingdom, the majority of woodworm damage is caused by the Common furniture beetle, which accounts for around 80% of infestations every year.

Identifying a woodworm species is key, as each species will cause varying levels of damage depending on their life cycle and the size of tunnelling, and because treatment methods vary.

Woodworm can often be hard to identify - so rather than spotting adult woodworm that are only present for a short period, often an infestation can be identified by the damage it has caused.

The larvae create tunnels within the wood as they feed.  In the case of Common furniture beetle, they tunnel for three to five years and then pupate just below the surface. Out of the pupa emerges an adult beetle and this is what creates the small emergence (flight) hole in the timber surface.

They will then emerge though this newly created hole, as frass from within the larvae tunnel pours out alongside the beetle. These are the dried larval droppings which are noticeable around exit holes and often get caught in cobwebs.

Spotting fully grown beetles or the damage they leave behind are a key indicator, with adult beetles emerging between April and September.

While woodworm beetles vary in size, shape and colour, Common furniture beetles are often dark chocolate brown and have hard wing covers on their back known as elytra.

They are commonly found on window sills as they attempt to fly towards the sunlight, before dying. Common furniture beetles are typically 3-5mm in size.

It is the larva that does the damage to wood.  The adults do not feed, except for woodboring weevil adults, which can live for up to a year.

Whether it's damage to timber or the presence of beetles, once you have identified a woodworm problem you may require professional treatments and timber repairs, depending on the extent of the damage.

Often woodworm damage remains hidden, as the infestation can occur in hard to reach areas like lofts, sub floor voids and behind panelling. That said, there are some key ways to spot the signs of a woodworm infestation in your property, helping you confirm whether or not you require professional assistance.

The most common signs of an active woodworm infestation are:

The life cycle of woodworm has 4 stages, and each stage will vary depending on the species of woodboring beetle involved.

Common furniture beetles are the most common type of woodworm in the UK, and cause the most damage to timber every year. While the Common furniture beetle has a life cycle of around 3 to 5 years, other species can be as long as 10 years or more.

While the main cause of wood boring beetle infestations occurs when an adult beetle lays their eggs on a timber surface, which then hatch and tunnel inside, there are other factors that can make a woodworm infestation more likely.

High Humidity and the Moisture Content of Timber: Woodworm larvae require moisture to live, and they obtain this from the wood they ingest. Because of this, the damper the timber, the better the food source, and the more likely a woodworm infestation will occur. Poor ventilation or damp problems can create the right conditions for a woodworm infestation.

Type of Wood: Some woodworm attack softwoods like pine, and others will attack hardwoods such as oak. The Common furniture beetle, which accounts for 80% of all woodworm damage in the UK, will typically eat the younger outer layer of wood (sapwood), as this contains more nutrients. There has been an increase in the amount of sapwood used in timber over the last 100 years as more commercial forests have been developed.

Infested items brought into the house: Many infestations start when stored goods are moved from an attic into a new house, or when buying second hand or antique furniture.

Access via windows: Woodboring beetles do naturally occur in the hedgerows, where they live in decaying trees. Woodworm beetles are most active during the summer, which is when many properties leave windows open, allowing adult beetles to fly into the property.

Untreated timbers: Historic timber that is untreated may be subject to woodworm infestations. More modern properties may have been built with treated timbers, preventing the problem. But throughout, beetle larvae will preferentially attack the nutritious sapwood and damp timbers.

In order to fully understand if a woodworm infestation is active, you may require professional assistance. This is done through a damp and timber survey, with a CSRT or CSTDB qualified surveyor taking the time to fully investigate the problem, identifying the species involved, and confirming if it is active or not. Woodworm treatments are only required when a woodworm infestation is active.

The surveyor will provide you with a survey report detailing if professional treatments are required, and if there is structural damage to timber that needs to be replaced. Some types of woodworm species require damp timber, and if this is the case, elements of damp proofing may be required.