Do You Have Woodworm In Your Home?

Woodworm are amongst the most destructive pests you’ll ever encounter. This is because they live inside things like roof beams, timbers and floorboards. They also occasionally infest things like furniture. Due to this, they can cause an immense amount of structural damage to your home. Repairing this damage can be enormously expensive.

This is why it’s such a good idea to nip this problem in the bud. But first of all, you need to know if you do actually have woodworm. If you suspect that these pests are in your home, it’s probably because you have spotted one or more of the following signs.

What are the signs of woodworm in your home? 

What you need to do is inspect all wood in your home from top to bottom and then use a professional pest controller. Every single thing which is made from wood must be inspected. When doing this you want to look for the signs of woodworm.

The easiest way to know if there are woodworm in your home is to look for exit holes in wood. You can spot these holes all year around, but they most often occur from May to October. Another thing to ask yourself is if the holes are fresh or old. If the holes are old, then it means the woodworm may have left or be dead. If the holes are fresh there could still be worms. Fresh holes will look new, and may also be surrounded by bore dust.

Speaking of bore dust, this is also something you should look for. Large piles of dust on your timbers is a definite sign of infestation. Also look for tunnels in the surface of your wood.

These are created by woodworm larvae. Another definite sign of woodworm in your home are weak timbers or floorboards. Floorboards may sag when you walk across them, and timbers will feel weak when pushed. Another major sign is wood which crumbles. This happens when the woodworm have completely eaten through the boards.

Finally, you may see live adult beetles or their larvae. The larvae are a creamy white colour and look like small caterpillars. The beetles are jet black and look like your typical beetle. The only difference is that they are a lot smaller. These pests are usually between 3-20mm long and this can make them extremely difficult to spot.

What to do about woodworm in your home

So, if you feel that you do have woodworm in your home, then what can you do about it? It is always best to call in the professionals. There are some DIY solutions, but we do not recommend them as we use methods that protect the environment. An expert thoroughly inspects your home and then treats all affected areas. This is the most efficient and effective method.

No matter which option you choose for home insect treatments, it’s important that you do this quickly. Remember, woodworms could be eating away at your timbers day and night. If this problem isn’t taken care of, there could be series consequences.