Woodworm Diagnosis & Treatment


Woodworm can cause irreparable harm to your property is identifying them early. You may not realise that you have a woodworm problem until the resulting damage becomes visible and timber is weakened, potentially leading to structural failure.

If you have spotted the signs of woodworm listed below we recommend booking a survey with DRYSAFE following which we will recommend the most appropriate treatment to cure the problem and make your home safe structurally sound.

The term ‘woodworm’ is often used to identify a variety of species of beetles the larvae of which bore into timber to feed causing structural weakening of the timbers where a woodworm infestation has been allowed to survive.

Following remedial timber treatment a period of time must be allowed to elapse before the woodworm infestation can be classed as dormant. This is as a result of the lifecycle for each different species of wood boring insect. For example, the lifecycle of a common furniture beetle within the timber can be between 4-6 years, with death watch beetle up to 12 years.

It is possible therefore to see what is believed to be an ongoing woodworm infestation following the completion of the treatment. This period is commonly referred to as the ‘residual flyout period’, during which stage the appearance of frass (dust) and fresh emergence holes may appear.

Common Furniture Beetle

This is by far the most common and widespread of wood-boring insects in this country, frequently found in older furniture and constructional timbers, particularly timbers in contact with solid walls, understair areas, cupboards and other areas that may have been affected by damp.

Death Watch Beetle

Death Watch Beetle infest hardwood (mostly oak) and softwood in contact with infested hardwood if some degree of fungal attack is present. It is often found in historic buildings where large quantities of oak or elm have been used structurally. The presence of death watch beetle can often be associated with damp conditions and fungal decay, although the infestation can continue, albeit slowly, in dryer timber.