Most of the beams in our house are probably around 180 years old. It’s only been in the last month that we’ve noticed signs of woodworm appearing around some of the beams, so we’ve had to starting treating beams for woodworm.
We started with a spray pump product called Woodworm Destroyer. It definitely stopped most of the cases, but there have been two persistent beams that we’ve drenched with the solution and we’re continuing to see evidence of fine woodworm ‘dust’ (which are actually droppings or frass from the perpetrators) on furniture and the floor below.
In a bid to stop the woodworm, we’ve purchased a new product this week called Woodworm Killer by Lignum, that you have to brush on, and you can really get it into the affected areas.
I couldn’t help noticing that both products smell virtually identical – they have an ‘80s carpet cleaner type scent. I don’t know if carpet cleaners nowadays smell different, but that’s my olfactory point of reference.
Never seen evidence of woodworm or what to look for? What you need to look for on wood or timber surfaces are very small holes scattered across the surface. There are usually a cluster of holes and each hole is around 1-2mm wide, as seen in the photos below. These are the exit holes. If you have these holes, then look for the frass (sawdust that’s actually beetle droppings).
For your quick reference, woodworms are not worms – they are the larval stage of different species of the woodworm beetle. This is what’s merrily crunching it’s way through beams, wood and timber.
In closing, it seems the second product has done the trick. We’ll keep you posted.