Treating Wood Boring Insects

Wood boring insects use wood as a food source or as a home, creating holes and tunnels in the timber, which over time can greatly reduce the strength of the infested wood.

Rentokil's woodworm treatment provides specialist services to protect your property and wood furnishings from the damage caused by wood boring insects. 

Common woodworm beetle include the Deathwatch Beetle and the Common Furniture Beetle.

Common Furniture Beetle

Image of Common Furniture Beetle from Rentokil

The Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum) is by far the most common wood boring insect found in British buildings. The small holes made by the beetles as they emerge from wood are typically seen in old furniture and in the structural timbers of buildings.

Deathwatch Beetle

Image of Death Watch Beetle from Rentokil

The Deathwatch Beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum) is an indigenous British insect that has been well known for hundreds of years. Deathwatch Beetle has a strong preference for hardwood timbers such as oak, ash and chestnut that have been attacked by wood- rotting fungi. 

Its occurrence is therefore largely restricted to churches, stately homes and other ancient buildings, principally in Southern and Central England.

Find out more about other Wood boring beetles and Wood-damaging insects such as House Longhorn Beetle, Powder Post Beetle and Woodboring Weevil from our comprehensive Pest Guides.

Download further technical information on our Wood boring Insects Treatments (pdf).