Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum)
Commonly known as Woodworm – generally the first signs to be seen
of any wood boring insect are the small flight holes where the
adult beetle has emerged. However, the life cycle of this beetle
starts between one to three years prior to this, when the adult
lays her eggs in a crack in the wood.
The emergence holes of this beetle are approximately 2mm in diameter
but for every hole there is a tunnel beneath where the grub has
eaten it’s way to the surface. Therefore, although there
appears to be little damage to the surface of the timber, the
many tunnels may mean that replacement of timbers is necessary.
As the grub nears the edge of the timber it transforms into
a beetle. This adult beetle is capable of flying and, after it
has mated, it may lay eggs in any convenient piece of wood and
thus the whole cycle begins again.
Solution!
Treatment is carried out with pressure spraying of insecticide,
which kills the grubs within the timber. Beetles can continue
to emerge up to two years after treatment, however, because they
have eaten through the treated timber they are rendered sterile
and, therefore, unable to perpetuate the life cycle.
Contrary to popular belief, the whole building does not have to
be treated if the infestation is only found in one area.
Gullivers generally use an 1-hour re-entry fluid (which means
you can re-access the area treated as soon as 1 hour after
completion of the spray treatment).
