Worried about woodworm.

Gingernuts31

Hi folks,

Turns out I have woodworm in the garage in some timber I had out there, I didn't know it was infected but I spotted live woodworm jumping around the ground and hiding in the (paper briquettes) I made. They are in the garage to dry and they seem to all have gone into them or so I thought untill I spotted 1 jumping out when I move dbag of coal.

I had the paper briquettes tapped up in 2 plastic bags each no exit from the. I also have a fallen down fence in the field which also had woodworm in it. I will be getting a skip and getting rid of all the wood from the garage, even the firewood and the fence from the field.

My main problem is im worried that when im out in the garage or if my dogs are around the fence in the field are the woodworm jumping onto me/them then jumping off in the house? I hardly slept last night thinking about it. I only got the attic treated for woodworm I don't want to have to get the house done too. I have spotted a black bettle of some sorts of my hand twice (outside) and then a shinny blue bettle sitting on a bed sheet today out drying. The black one was about 1/4 inch long, slim with a small shell on its back then like a long tail if you like but its part of the body, it can fly too. Now that got onto my hand and I was no where the infected areas. It doesn't look like the longhorn bettle but im not 100% on it.

Can the woodworm survive outside of the wood and if so for how long?

BryanF

see if you can spot the type here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodworm
there is a range of pesticides that will kill them. there is also spider option (the beetle's natural predator) which can be introduced to eradicate them
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/insectdamage/insectdamage.htm
you can purchase the spiders one line, good luck explaining that to the better-half..

Gingernuts31

None of the bettles on wiki look like the ones I have seen. They are black in colour with 2 antenna's that point outwards with a slight tilt kind of like this \/ . They are quiet small by all accounts compared to the dead ones i've seen in the attic. They were brown I think.


I can't stand spiders, anything bigger than a pen tip and im trying to kill it. The spider thing isn't really an option as they are in an open field where I and the dogs do be and also in the garage in various places it looks like.

Just to note today just before going to work I noticed 1 more had clung to the white sheet on the wahing line. I squashed it between the sheet and watched it fall to the ground. To my shock I see 4 or 5 of them scurry on gravel :eek:. I always thought they only lived in wood but now I have a totally different outlook on them. Like I said if They attach to my dogs or even me then they are in the house. I came home and checked the dogs beds but couldn't see anything. Would I be better just calling rentokil or someone like that to come and treat the house now more so than wait for flight holes to appear. If they appear?

Gingernuts31

I think the ones im finding outside are the common furniture bettle as they are crawling all over my white window sills :mad:. Is it possible they could be in the sleepers in the garden and thats how they are ending up on the window? Im going to be treating the driveway soon hopefully with weedkillers (vinegar, washing liquid, and some other ingredient I can't think off right now). Hoping that will kill off any that are on the ground and if they are in sleepers il treat them with diesel. Heard that works for killing them?

isaos

Gingernuts31 wrote: »

I think the ones im finding outside are the common furniture bettle as they are crawling all over my white window sills :mad:. Is it possible they could be in the sleepers in the garden and thats how they are ending up on the window? Im going to be treating the driveway soon hopefully with weedkillers (vinegar, washing liquid, and some other ingredient I can't think off right now). Hoping that will kill off any that are on the ground and if they are in sleepers il treat them with diesel. Heard that works for killing them?

No matter what, whether furniture or beams, timber needs to be treated against woodworm once in a while.

Hard wood will be more resistant but even at that, the lovely oak beams you can see in French or British houses are treated every 10 to 15 years on average. It really has to be done seriously, as it can only spread once started.

Best way are chemicals, unfortunately, but the new products on the market are water based and far less smelly.
For furniture, try putting a cup filled with woodworm product underneath each foot and let is rest for 24hours, the liquid will be sucked from the feet.

We had our old cottage completely treated last week, 3 rooms up 2 rooms down, and inside the attic for €1.000 including VAT - the house was empty so it didn't take much time.
best of luck!

isaos

BryanF wrote: »

see if you can spot the type here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodworm
there is a range of pesticides that will kill them. there is also spider option (the beetle's natural predator) which can be introduced to eradicate them
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/insectdamage/insectdamage.htm
you can purchase the spiders one line, good luck explaining that to the better-half..

Brilliant !!