Treatment

It can be quite difficult to ascertain whether woodworm are active or whether the damage and holes are historic, especially if you buy an item of antique furniture with signs of woodworm, or if you move into a new place and find some signs of woodworm. Aside from finding and identifying live or dead insects (see Types of Wood Boring Beetle) the main ways of telling if woodworm are active are:

1. Fresh dusting or frassing under or next to the holes;
2. You can see light coloured wood in the holes, which have sharp edges;
3. Edges of wooden beams and joists are breaking away to reveal fresh, light wood underneath.

For ten tops on how to identify signs of woodworm, see 9 signs of a woodworm infestation

The only practical and effective non-toxic woodworm treatment we would ever recommend is heat treatment. Heat treatment is an eco-friendly woodworm treatment and can be used very effectively to treat items of furniture. We can enclose the item and treat it gradually over several hours, so as not to draw too much moisture out, while still killing all life stages of the wood boring beetle. Heat treatment can also be useful when you have to work out how to dry out damp wood as well as treat for woodworm at the same time.