Wood boring insect attack often causes structural damage in supporting joists, plates or floor boards and is particularly common in loft timbers. There are a number of wood-boring insects that attack timber in properties in the UK.

Woodworm is a description commonly applied to all wood-boring beetles. The life cycle of the wood boring beetle is normally always near completion before most property owners are even aware they have a problem.

After mating the female beetle will lay her eggs into cracks and on the rough surfaces of the structural timbers, which will then hatch and begin tunnelling deep into the timber almost undetected.

The number of eggs and larval stage of the beetle will vary according to the species. Larvae will pupate and after several weeks the adult beetles will develop and commence boring their way out of the timber to mate. Having mated the female beetle will again lay her eggs on the timber and the life cycle starts again.

This situation creates an on going problem that will get worse if left untreated.

Woodworm - The Remedial Solution

Lifecote Ltd has vast experience in the treatment of wood boring insect pests. Our fully trained and experienced staff will accurately determine whether treatment is necessary in the first place.

The wrong identification of the insect can often lead to costly and unnecessary solutions. Lifecote will provide the correct woodworm treatments to eradicate your woodworm infestation.

NB If the woodworm infestation is inactive will be always advice you and this could amount to a considerable saving.

Our area managers will identify:

• The type of and extent of the woodworm infestation.  
• Lifecote has accurate methods to determine if the infestation is active or inactive  
• The extent of structural damage, if any, has occurred, and necessary work to re-instate such damage.  
• The type of woodworm treatment is best for your property, family, and the environment.  

Post Survey Action  

Lifecote Ltd will provide an accurate report giving full specifications of the intended works and an accurate cost. This will be posted or e mailed to potential Cients within 3 working days.

There are three common types of woodworm in this country these are:

The House Longhorn Beetle (Hylotropes bajulus)

The house Longhorn Beetle is principally found in roof timbers where it attacks the sapwood of exclusively softwood timbers often resulting in structural weakness. The holes and tunnels of this beetle are significantly larger than the furniture beetle. Treatment for this beetle is highly specialist and Building Societies will insist on a specialist company if structural timber has been affected.

The Deathwatch beetle (Xestobium rufuvillosum)

The Deathwatch Beetle attacks large hardwood timbers such as Elm and Oak. The beetle, having started in hardwoods like these may move across to neighbouring softwoods in a kind of feeding frenzy! This beetle much prefers very damp conditions and even better when there is some kind of fungal decay or "wet rot" in the timbers. The beetle needs these conditions to develop rapidly. Treatment, as with the others, can be done in the form of a paste, spray on application or paint on preservative. It is strongly suggested that you call in a specialist such as Lifecote if you think you have Deathwatch Beetle.

The Furniture Beetle (Annobium punctatum) & Wharf borer

Furniture Beetle adults are very small and brownish in colour with an almost cylindrical body. The thorax is typically arched to form a hood, which almost conceals the head, and they have medium length unclubbed antennae. The larvae of different species of furniture beetle are very difficult to distinguish between; but, they are all soft, curved, have very small legs, and are known collectively as woodworm.

The frass (dust) from the borehole consists of lemon shaped-gritty pellets. Adults emerge from timber in the spring and early summer. Eggs are laid into crevices immediately after mating.  Sawed ends of manufactured timber are an example of a typical oviposition site. Females lay around 30 eggs in small groups. Emergence will occur 2 - 4 weeks later, when the young larvae will bore into the timber. Full life cycle indoors takes between 2 and 4 years. Final instar larvae will tunnel toward the surface and construct a pupation chamber near to the surface. Adults emerge, completing the cycle leaving a characteristic bore hole and gritty powder in the vicinity of the hole.

Wharf borers vary in length from 7-12mm and are rather soft in texture. They are yellowish brown in colour but their wing tips are black. The antennae of the male has 12 segments, whilst the female has 11 segments. The eyes, sides of the thorax, legs and ventral parts are blackish, and the whole body is covered with dense yellow down.

Damaged Timber

 Timber Treatment