Woodworm

Image of woodworm exit holes in wood_Rentokil Property Care

The title "woodworm" is a generic term for wood-boring insects that can infest, eat and damage wooden items & structural timbers within buildings. Rentokil's Property Care woodworm service offers convenient, effective solutions:

  • Professional inspection & expert evaluation of any possible infestation - with treatment recommendations tailored to your property
  • Appointment times convenient for you (Mon - Fri) for a thorough and professional property inspection to assess the extent of any woodworm problem.
  • Knowledgeable and friendly local technicians, ensure the highest level of safety for your family and pets during treatment
  • Call us NOW free on 0800 0121 437 to arrange for a Rentokil Property Care technician to deal with your woodworm problem quickly and efficiently

For more information on woodworm beetle & what woodworm looks like please see below.

Signs of Woodworm damage

Some beetle species prefer to infest the sapwood of softwoods, like pine, spruce and cedar. Others have a preference for hardwoods such as oak, ash, sweet chestnut and mahogany. However all wood boring insects will leave some signs of their presence.

If you spot any of the signs below, you may have an active woodworm infestation:

  • fresh exit holes in timber - these will be round or oval in shape with sharp edges and the walls of the holes will appear clean & fresh
  • tunnels within the timber - these are also know as 'galleries' which are within the wood
  • bore dust (also known as "frass") - caused by emerging adult beetles, usually visible below the infested timber
  • weak and damaged flooring - in extreme cases a foot or chair leg going through the floor can indicate a more serious problem
  • crumbly corners or edges - to roof joists or floorboards
  • dead beetles - usually found near the infested timber or around nearby windowsills

Woodworm can cause serious damage to internal and external timbers. If left untreated, they can seriously weaken timber - which can eventually lead to structural failure in a building. 

Rentokil Property Care provides specialist woodworm treatment for damaged timber. 

What Does Woodworm Look Like

Image of woodworm larva - the larval stage of a Furniture Beetle from Rentokil

There are 4 stages in the woodworm beetle lifecycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult beetle. However it is only the 'larval' stage that causes extensive damage within the wood. The eggs are laid in crevices and cracks within wood or on the rough underside of furniture. They vary in size and colour depending on the type of beetle - all are extremely difficult to spot with the naked eye.

The body of the woodworm is usually creamy-white in colour and has a curved shape. When the larvae hatch they immediately burrow through the timber, making it very unlikely they would be seen. Here safely inside the wood they continue to tunnel and feed for several years. 

As the larvae mature they increase in size and eventually bore towards the surface of the wood, here they pupate and emerge as adult beetles by biting their way out of the timber. The holes they create are know as 'flight' or 'exit' holes.

Woodworm Beetle 

Image of Common Furniture Beetle from Rentokil

The woodworm is the larval or grub stage of the beetle's lifecycle. The natural habitat for these insects are trees, so building timbers, wooden floorboards and wood furniture are natural substitutes for the beetles.

The most common woodworm beetle in this country is the aptly named Common Furniture Beetle, which can be found across the UK. Another more widely known insect is the Death Watch Beetle which is native to Britain. It's preference for eating seasoned oak timbers makes it one of the few insects which have been well documented for several hundred years.

The beetles are most noticeable when existing from wooden timbers between May and October each year. Once emerged they are attracted to light and can often be seen near windows, windowsills or loft hatches.

Rentokil Woodworm Survey

Image of technician checking for woodworm underneath floorboards | Rentokil Property Care

A Rentokil surveyor will carry out a thorough inspection of your property to assess the extent of the woodworm problem. They will determine if the infestation is active and in need of treatment and also check for associated wood problems such as rot or damp.

The surveyor will identify the type of woodworm infestation, how far the infestation has spread and if any timbers may need to be replaced. Based on this evaluation the surveyor will make recommendations for the appropriate woodworm treatment.

Call Rentokil Property Care FREE on 0800 0121 437 for more advice or to arrange a woodworm survey.