Woodworm

The common furniture beetle (one type of woodworm) is responsible for the majority of damage to softwood and hardwood within buildings in Britain. The level of infestation depends on the type of timber and its moisture content. Picture of common furniture beetle attacking ground floor suspended timber floor (in Edinburgh).

Keeping the moisture content of timbers below 11% moisture content (full central heating) can control a common furniture beetle infestation in mid floor timbers of a well maintained building.

Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium Punctatum) Treatment

This is the covering of the exposed timber surfaces with insecticide fluid that will then bring the infestation under control.

This basic specification below can be expanded to cover other infestations.

Roof Void Remove all dirt from the accessible surfaces of all roof timbers, ceiling joists, etc. and seal any fresh water tanks. Then spray the cleaned timbers with micro emulsion insecticide to coverage of 4-5m2/litre or until refusal.

Flooring Timbers Lift two rows of floorboards at both ends of the room and then lift as necessary across the room. Clean all accessible surfaces of joists and other structural timbers. Spray micro emulsion insecticide to coverage of 4-5m2/litre until refusal on all cleaned timbers. Relay floorboards and replace any timbers as specified in the report. The treated timbers can be covered by a long term guarantee.

Other woodworm

Wood-boring wood weevil (damp timber only) Lyctus powederpost beetle, Ptilinus beetle, Bark borer beetle, Deathwatch beetle, House Longhorn (south east England) for further information and species. See BRE book on recognising wood rot and insect damage in buildings.