Identifying Woodworm/Beetle

The death watch beetle is most found in stately homes, due to the adults rarely flying it is most common the beetle family has lived there since the property was first built. Its young can survive inside the timber for up to ten years, after this time the beetle emerges as a grey/brown beetle roughly 7mm in length. The death watch beetle does not feed on commonly used soft wood which we find in all new build properties, hence the declining population since most old houses have been treated or demolished.

The wood boring weevil was first recorded in Great Britain in 1937, although it is found nation wide in present day, it's more commonly found in properties around the London area. Less then 4% of beetle infestations are caused by woodboring weevils. The woodboring weevil feeds on already decaying timber, therefore if you are found to have a weevil infestation it is assumed you also have some sort of damp issue within the immediate vicinity.

The common furniture beetle is a woodboring beetle, the life cycle is fairly simple with reproducing their ultimate goal. It is responsible for around 75% of all infestation outbreaks within the UK. Once fully grown they can measure between 2.7 and 4.5mm in length. Females lay their eggs in old exit holes from previous outbreaks, or in cracks on the surface of the timber. The eggs hatch after three weeks into larvae and spend the next 3-4 years randomly boring their way through the starchy part of the timeber. When they are ready to pupate they make their way to just below the surface of the wood, this process can take up to 8 weeks. Once the transition has been completed the adults bore an exit hole around 1.5mm in diameter leaving behind frass on the surface.