Woodworm is an extremely common problem in the UK, with 5,000 homes getting treated for it per week. It is likely that you, or someone you know will encounter it at some point in their lives. This article will tell you some things that you should know about woodworm infestation including why it’s important to hire woodworm specialists as soon as you suspect a problem.
Holes in the Woodwork Doesn’t Mean They’ve Left
A common mistake that people make it thinking that because the woodworm have burrowed holes through the wood means that they are no longer there.
When really, all this means is that the original woodworms have probably left, leaving behind their own eggs, ready to start the whole cycle all over again. This is why damage can be so extensive, especially if the problem hasn’t been picked up on quickly.
They have an extremely short lifespan of around 10-14 days, so generations upon generations may have come and went before you even pick up on the problem.
You Don’t Need to Have Damp to Have Woodworm
Yes, woodworm love damp conditions, but that doesn’t mean it’s essential for them to live. They will often settle for conditions that are not damp, so just because you aren’t experiencing a problem with damp, doesn’t mean you’re not at risk.
Insecticides Won’t Always Get Rid of Them
Woodworm specialists sometimes use insecticides as an option to try and get rid of woodworm but this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to work. This is because the insecticide is unable to penetrate down into the deeper wood. So this may only kill the woodworm on the surface, instead of the woodworm deeper down.
Prevention is Always Better Than Treatment
As with just about anything, prevention is always better than treatment. After dealing with your initial infestation, it’s important to take the proper precautions to help ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
As mentioned earlier, woodworm doesn’t always need damp but it does thrive on it. Ensuring that the damp levels in your property are monitored with a device such as a timber moisture measurer is a great way to ensure that you aren’t posing too much of a risk. A reading above 18 percent puts you at risk of the wood developing decay due to the moisture, as well as another woodworm infestation.
You May Need to Hire Woodworm Specialists
Due to woodworm being such a huge problem in the UK, there are plenty of woodworm specialists that are specially trained to help get rid of and prevent woodworm for occurring with as little damage as possible to your property and furniture.
Woodworm specialists are the best way to deal with the problem for many reasons. First of all, you don’t know how serious the problem is going to be until you investigate – and this may require a wall or floorboard to be taken apart.
There may also already be structural damage to the area of the infestation and trying to get to the problem yourself may make this damage worse. Not only that, you may think that you’ve solved the problem but in reality, the infestation could be deeper than you think.
If you suspect a problem, it is important to contact woodworm specialists as soon as possible before the problem escalates.