The woodworm is not a worm, as you might think, but a stage of the larvae of various families of common beetles, including the furniture beetle and the lyctidae. These insects lay their eggs inside the pieces of wood, which eventually turn into woodworms. To find them, run your hands along the edges of wooden furniture, walls, or wherever you fear there may be an infestation. In addition to holes and dust, look for brittle wood that crumbles easily.
Steps
Step 1. Look for classic woodworm holes in furniture, which are usually about 1.5-2mm in diameter
The dust that comes out of the holes made by the woodworms contains lemon-shaped granules. These insects usually do not exceed 6mm in length. Furniture woodworms are found in sapwood, softwood or plywood.
Step 2. Look for the woodworm Ernobius mollis in the wood with the bark
This beetle is not often found in homes. Check the dust for donut-shaped granules around the areas of the bark where the holes are (usually about 2mm in diameter).
Step 3. Look for Pentarthrum huttoni in rotting wood
You can spot this woodworm by looking for small holes with jagged edges, always in the rotten wood.
Step 4. Look for Lyctus brunneus dust in the weathered wood
This woodworm is usually found only on construction sites and lumber factories. Create tunnels along the grain of the wood by making small entry and exit holes no larger than 2mm, and form a flour-like powder.
Step 5. Find the woodworm Hylotrupes bajulus in softwood
The larvae of this beetle can grow up to 30 mm in length. Look for larger, oval-shaped holes with very coarse dust around the infested area. The damage inside the wood can be much worse than it looks from the outside.
Step 6. Look for the Cerambycidae outdoors
This woodworm and its larvae are found only on woodland trees. The holes even reach 10 mm in diameter - much larger than those of most domestic woodworms.
Step 7. Identify the ragweed beetle in the woods
The damage caused by the house beetle woodworm is often mistaken for that of this woodworm, but it only lives in outdoor environments - it cannot survive in treated wood. Look for black tunnels that appear noticeable after the wood has been cut and treated.
Step 8. Look for holes in woodworm Xestobium rufovillosum, usually on oak wood
They generally measure up to 3mm in diameter, and the powder contains large donut-shaped granules that are visible to the naked eye. Check the inside of the wood and you will easily find more damage than you see on the outside.
Advice
- The woodworms or eggs these insects produce can remain inside wooden objects for years before they become noticeable. Although many people think that woodworm is a problem that only affects old wood, it is also common in new wood furniture, which can be infested with eggs or larvae.
- Always keep your eyes peeled and check if the beetle larvae have already turned into woodworms. If you see these insects in the area, it is a clear sign that woodworms are present.
