Woodworm Treatment & Advice

For help and advice or to book a survey email DWC at info@dwcuk.com or call us on 0845 130 4566.
DWC has a vast amount of experience in the treatment of woodworm and can provide you with the best advice and solutions associated to woodworm problems.

Woodworm Cause & Identification

There are a number of species of woodworm which use timber as a food source the result of which can cause serious damage to the structural timbers within a building. These beetles thrive in damp conditions combined with a temperate climate and the traditional building methods used in construction. Correct identification of the infestation is essential before deciding on the course of treatment, if any, is needed.

DWC’s qualified surveyors will carry out a full diagnostic survey to identify the type of infestation, if the infestation is still active and the extent of damage to timbers. They will also assess if there are other contributing factors within the property for example condensation and damp conditions which need to be eradicated in order to prevent the spread of the infestation.

Woodworm Treatment

The type of treatment recommended will depend on the type of infestation, the extent of the damage and general conditions within the property.

Where a live infestation is found, a water-based product is recommended which unlike previous conventional solvent based insecticides, allows the re-occupation of the property after approximately one hour. A dual-purpose wood preservative can also be recommended for the prevention and eradication of both fungi and wood boring beetles.

Any structurally-weakened timber would need to be removed and replaced with pre-treated timber and all surfaces of affected timber would be sprayed with an appropriate woodworm insecticide treatment.

Condensation units can also be recommended which in some cases is all that is needed to remove the damp conditions in a property and therefore eradicate the particular woodworm infestation.

Common Types of Woodworm

There are many different types of woodworm all which require a professional diagnosis to ensure the correct form of treatment is selected.

Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum).
This species can be identified by the small, round holes that are left on the surface of the timber (approx. 1.5 - 2mm diameter) and the "gritty" bore-dust that it leaves behind.

Other Types of Woodworm

Other types of woodworm common to the UK include the Deathwatch Beetle ( Xestobium rufuvillosum), the House Longhorn Beetle ( Hylotrupes bajulus), and the Powderpost beetle ( Lyctus brunneus). Whilst the Powderpost Beetle can be treated in much the same way as the Common Furniture Beetle, House Longhorn and Deathwatch beetle infestations require more extensive treatment .

The wood boring weevil, Euophryum confine, is also another infestation often gathered under the generic term "woodworm".

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 DWCs surveyor will make a thorough investigation before deciding on treatment.