| Wood boring beetles such as the Common Furniture
Beetle (Anobium Punctatum) and Wood Boring Weevil (Euophryum
Confine) are often gathered under the generic term “woodworm”
Amongst the many other species of beetle which attack structural
timber, the Wood Boring Weevil is the most common. This beetle
shares many similarities with the Common Furniture Beetle,
but importantly it is found only in decaying timber. Dampness
is the source of the problem and the damp problem must be
eradicated to tackle the possibilities of re-infestation.
Decaying timber is usually a sign of wet rot and the surveyor
will make a thorough investigation before deciding on treatment.
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There is a common misconception that central heating will
dry the timbers in a property to a level where the beetles
cannot survive. A normally centrally heated home has a natural
moisture level that varies with the seasons and also varies
throughout the house. Relative humidity is naturally high
in summer when the central heating is off and this is when
the eggs are laid. Even when the heating is on during the
winter months many areas remain damp, such as the roof, the
cellar and in the floor joists. The combination of central
heating and loft insulation can increase humidity levels encouraging
the beetles to spread. It is wise to check for damage in properties
of all ages.
Where timber treatment is required we recommend using a water
based product which, unlike previous conventional solvent
based insecticides, attacks an beetles’ central nervous
system. This product has a fundamentally different mode of
action; it blocks the natural life of all woodborers in the
larval stage. Timber treated with this product will be ingested
or absorbed by the larva. As soon as the larva attempts to
moult to its next stage of development it is unable to produce
a new skin and dies. Fungicide/Insecticide as specified is
a dual-purpose wood preservative for the prevention and eradication
of both fungi and wood boring beetles.
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