Woodworm treatment in Nijmegen: the signs
Woodworm is actually the larva of a beetle. The larva lives hidden inside the wood, chewing tunnels as it goes. You only notice something once the adult beetle works its way out. Look for:
- small, round exit holes in beams, floorboards, stairs or furniture
- little piles of fine, pale bore dust under or next to those holes
- wood that feels crumbly or that a screwdriver sinks into easily
- small brown beetles on the windowsill, especially in spring and summer
Sharp, light-coloured edges around the holes and fresh dust point to recent activity. Dark, weathered holes without any powder may be old damage from an infestation that has died out. That difference decides whether treatment is needed.
Common furniture beetle or house longhorn beetle?
The common furniture beetle is often found in furniture, floors, stairs and beams, in both hardwood and softwood. Its larvae can live in the wood for years before emerging, so an infestation can go unnoticed for a long time. The damper the wood, the better they thrive.
The house longhorn beetle is larger and mainly targets softwood in roof structures, such as rafters, purlins and roof boarding. Its exit holes are oval and noticeably bigger. Because the larvae eat away a lot of wood, a longhorn infestation can weaken a roof's load-bearing capacity. On a quiet day you can sometimes even hear the larvae gnawing. If we have doubts about the structure, we advise bringing in a builder or structural engineer.
Our woodworm treatment
During the inspection we examine the affected wood up close. We probe the beam to feel how deep the damage goes, measure the moisture content where necessary and look for fresh bore dust. That tells us which beetle it is, whether it is still active and how far the damage extends.
Then comes the treatment. Where needed, the wood is cleaned first, after which a certified pest controller applies a suitable product that penetrates the wood, or injects it into the tunnels. Loose furniture is treated separately. If a beam is so badly damaged that it no longer bears weight, it has to be replaced, and we will tell you so honestly. If other pests are bothering you as well, our pest control in Nijmegen can help.
What you can do yourself
Not sure whether the woodworm is still active? Cover the holes in a beam with paper tape or draw a circle around them with a marker, then check after a season whether new holes or fresh dust have appeared. Do not place antique furniture or old planks from a shed next to your own furniture without checking them first.
Do not sand or paint over fresh holes, because you will no longer be able to see whether new ones appear. Avoid using a random DIY-store product on load-bearing beams without knowing what is going on. If you go into the crawl space and find droppings or gnaw marks there, mouse control may also be worth looking into.
Preventing woodworm: keep the wood dry
Dry wood is less attractive to woodworm. Make sure the crawl space is well ventilated, with open and clean vents, and have leaks in the roof, gutters or pipes repaired promptly. In the loft, it pays to check the roof boarding and beams every now and then, especially after a wet winter.
If you treat old wood before bringing it indoors, such as scaffolding boards or an antique cabinet, you avoid carrying the beetle in yourself. Combining woodworm treatment with good moisture control improves the chances that the beetle stays away.
