The furniture beetle, the most common types of woodworm, lays its eggs in fresh, moist timber. The larvae that are born from these eggs will then eat their way through the wood and in a few years they fly out as adult beetles

The furniture beetle, the most common types of woodworm, lays its eggs in fresh, moist timber. The larvae that are born from these eggs will then eat their way through the wood and in a few years they fly out as adult beetles. You’ll be able to tell when a furniture beetle has laid its eggs because the wood will be filled with tiny holes where the larvae have eaten through and flown out. Woodworm of this kind isn’t infectious. The larvae don’t eat into other materials while they’re still growing, but it might become a concern after they’ve matured. The fully matured, female furniture beetles will be looking to lay their eggs and if there is another suitable piece of wood nearby they will likely choose that.

Furniture beetles can’t survive in dry wood so, even if you have holes in some of your furniture, you likely won’t be at risk of a full blown infestation of woodworm. However, moist and damp wood is perfect for them. As a result, one of the main causes of woodworm is damp. If there is any part of your home that is leaking or poorly damp proofed, the timber and furniture in that area as at high risk of being overrun with woodworm. So, one of the best ways to prevent a woodworm infestation is to have your home properly damp proofed. Sadly, this entails more than just patching up a few leaky holes around the house. There are lots of different kinds of damp and they can invade your home in the most unlikely ways.

Condensation especially is a big contributor to damp and if without effective condensation control, damp from condensation can lead to even more problems than just woodworm. Damp from condensation often shows itself as black mould and paint on your walls and ceiling will be cracked or peeling. It’s caused by ineffective ventilation in a building. Hot showers, cooking and even the carbon dioxide we exhale can turn into condensation when they come in contact with a cold surface. Single glazed and poorly sealed windows will let cold air in but won’t let warm, moist air out, so moist air often gets absorbed by the timber in our homes, making it the perfect place for woodworm to lay their eggs. So, the best way to keep damp and woodworm out is to insulate your house properly – filling in all of the gaps where cold air might seep in – and properly ventilating your home to ensure that there’s no moisture lingering in the air or the timber. If you own a fireplace, lighting a fire every now and then can be a great help because it draws in lots of air from outside and dries any timber that might be collecting moisture.

If you do happen to find signs of woodworm in your home then you shouldn’t worry, but you also shouldn’t ignore it. There are often occasions where timber leaves the factory with holes from woodworm but the actual insects are long gone. But, to be on the safe side, you should always bring in a professional if you have suspicions to double check that there’s no furniture or timber that might still be infected.