House Longhorn (Hylotrupes bujulus)
This large wood boring beetle has oval emergence holes measuring up to 10mm long and 6mm wide. The grubs bore along the grain of the wood, often near the surface and they can completely destroy the inside of joists and other timbers, leaving only a thin shell, without there being any visible sign of decay. A slight corrugating of the surface veneer is often present when the damage is severe.
The females lay their eggs in cracks and crevices in the wood and these eggs hatch out in about two weeks. The larvae crawl along the surface of the wood and then start boring into the timber. They then stay in the timber for some three to eleven years eating their own length in one day. As they are about 25mm long during the last stages the damage caused can be substantial.
Solution!
In normal circumstance the affected timber has to be cut out and replaced. If the infestation is only minor, it can be treated with an organic solvent based chemical or paste.
At this moment in time this beetle is found mainly in Hampshire, Berkshire, S.E. London and Surrey (where it is commonly known as the Camberley Beetle). Suspected cases should be reported to the Building Research Establishment.
