Woodworm Treatment Services in The Central London Area

If you have woodworm in your property or at your business then you have an issue that is not going to go away without specialist assistance. Pest Professionals in Central London can assist to provide you with immediate advice and help if you have woodworm issues in two very simple and effective steps:

The no obligation phone consultation applies to both residential and business customers in the Central London area. No woodworm or timber job is too large or too small for us to take a look at. Where appropriate we are able to offer guidance on any immediate steps called for to protect your health, property or belongings prior to a visit. If a visit is required we let you know if there will be a call out cost and also advise on the probable rates of any timber or woodworm treatment should it be required.

Treatment of Woodworm and Timber Pests

The extensive use of timber in modern structural applications (floor joists, roof purlins, floorboards, rafters etc.) has intensified the threat that timber pests pose. If left without treatment, these insects will cause considerable damage, which can eventually bring about structural failure of the building.

Even though the adults can fly, woodworm is commonly brought into a property for the first time through the purchase of second hand furniture and can of course also cause serious damage to expensive wooden furniture, which may be antique.

Woodworm is in fact not a specific species of timber pest, but a generic term for the larval stage of a number of timber damaging beetles.

The Furniture Beetle, a small brown insect which is about 3mm to 5mm in length and flies quite willingly, is the commonest. The Furniture Beetle lays its eggs on rough, unpolished wood and as soon as they hatch the grubs bore straight into the wood – disappearing until they emerge as beetles three years or so later, usually between May and September. Longhorn, Powder Post, Wharf Borer and Death Watch Beetles, the latter of which only infests large, old, hardwood beams, all possess a foothold in the UNITED KINGDOM.

The initial indication of woodworm the majority of people see is precise, round holes around 2mm across in wooden surface areas, often accompanied by tiny piles of wood dust beneath them.

New holes show clean white wood within. Although the holes are made by emerging adult beetles that are therefore no longer a direct risk to the structure, larvae may still be burrowing away inside the wood. Crumbly edges to boards and to joists are also often a reliable indicator of their presence and the necessity for woodworm control measures.

Woodworm Control

In cases where valued, rare and expensive pieces of wooden furniture, musical instruments, decorative or structural woodwork are impacted and need saving, a specialist woodworm treatment approach will certainly be needed. Woodworm in furniture may be cured with the use of the appropriate kind of proprietary woodworm killer, with fluid injected into key flight holes. Floorboards should be lifted to get at the undersurfaces and the joists.

If you have woodworm you will want to get rid of them. One of our skilled Pest Professionals will perform an initial survey to determine the type of timber pest involved and the extent of the problem, before advising on the most suitable treatment. The good news is that on evaluation a suitable treatment can eradicate woodworm entirely. In the event of a substantial or difficult to eradicate infestation, we can also advise on specialist heat treatment approach.

Varieties of Timber Pests in the UK

The Furniture Beetle

The most common timber pest in the UK. Damages furniture, musical instruments, decorative woodwork etc. Larvae live for 3-5 years in the wood.

Beetle Larvae

Timber pest larvae bore deep into the wood and emerge from May to September. They may possibly be burrowing in the wood for years.

Death Watch Beetle

Dark reddish brown. Grubs like to eat older, hardwood structural timbers and can live in them for ten years.

House Longhorn Beetle

Black/brown beetle not native to UK and primarily found in SE England. Infests seasoned and partially seasoned softwoods like pine.

Powder Post Beetle

Red/brown beetle that requires a diet of starch found in certain hardwoods. Can be a real problem in timber yards.

Wharf Borer Beetle

A brown beetle about 1cm long which lives in decayed wet timber. Adults commonly found close to waterways.

If you need sound advice or swift solutions to woodworm or timber pest problems anywhere in Central London or the local boroughs – speak to us.