When you are looking for a woodworm pesticide, it is actually already too late. The critters don’t like to be seen and eat long tunnels in your wooden furniture or house parts unnoticed. Although there are several DIY remedies on the market, it is virtually impossible to combat them yourself. Such products do not get into the core of the wood and are not powerful enough. The control of woodworms starts with prevention. That is why in this blog we give you 5 practical tips that help prevent woodworm. Is your wood still pierced by these critters? Pest control service Van der Velden will visit you quickly for woodworm control, and ensures that you get rid of all inconveniences quickly!
Larvae are king
There are several species of beetles that attack wood. The woodworm beetles that are most common in the Netherlands are the common woodworm beetle, the large woodworm beetle and the longhorn beetle. The term ‘woodworm’ refers to the larvae of these beetle species. It is the larvae that affect your wood, not their parents.
Meter-long damage
The fact that woodworms are difficult to control is because the larvae eat into the wood unnoticed immediately after the eggs hatch. After all, that’s what they live on. Dry and porous wood is preferable because they can work their way around well. Wooden furniture, cabinets, floors and beams are not safe for these wood lovers. They can hide there for up to ten years. They can wriggle up to 1.5 meters forward per year. The woodworm pierces the upper layers of the wood, while the longhorn beetle works coarser and eats deeper into the wood. You won’t be able to do that yourself with a woodworm pesticide that is most likely not powerful enough either. When the larvae turn into adult beetles after a few years and fledge, eggs are laid again. Often on the wood where the beetles themselves were once born. You can kill the beetles, but there is a good chance that eggs have already been laid. A woodworm infestation therefore occurs quickly.
Small critters, big danger
The woodworm doesn’t like to be seen. Because they hide in the wood, they can go about their business undisturbed. When the larvae have emerged and the adult beetles fledge, they leave small holes in the wood. As a result, the pests are only noticed at a late stage. By then, it’s often too late. The woodworms and longhorn beetles have eaten long, winding tunnels in the wood. This weakens the load-bearing capacity of furniture and wooden structures. The danger increases every year without you knowing it, until at some point joists or floors collapse. This can lead to the risk of collapse, which in turn has disastrous consequences.
Preventing woodworm: 5 practical tips
Nobody is waiting for the woodworm or longhorn beetle. If there is a lot of wood in your home or business premises, it is a smart idea to take woodworm prevention measures. Consider the following:
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- Check second-hand items before you buy them. A beautiful second-hand piece of furniture may seem harmless, but it can contain a lot of woodworms. So check this carefully before you get the product.
- Edit wooden parts. Raw wood is loved by woodworms. By giving furniture or other wood a coat of paint or varnish, you make it difficult for beetles to lay their eggs on it.
- Pay attention to maintenance. Wood that is damp or moldy is attractive to the large woodworm beetle. For example, by properly maintaining window frames with a layer of paint or varnish, such problems can be prevented. This makes the wood less attractive.
- Make sure your home is well ventilated and heated. Humid environments are heaven on earth for woodworms.
- Use an anti-woodworm remedy. You can treat wooden furniture or beams preventively with an anti-woodworm remedy. Please note: this only has an effect if there are no woodworms present yet, otherwise it will be too late.
Panic! The woodworm has eluded me!
Despite good preventive measures, the woodworm or longhorn beetle can still nest in your home or business premises. Because they hide for years and multiply rapidly, the signals often indicate the presence of many woodworms. A woodworm infestation can be recognized by small holes in the wood that are a few millimeters wide. Boron dust coming out of the holes means that woodworms are active. If you find eggs, larvae or beetles in the flesh, you will obviously be bothered by these pests. In that case, there is no point in getting started with the above tips or buying a woodworm pesticide. A private pesticide woodworm or a longhorn beetle pesticide is often not strong enough. In addition, the chemicals do not penetrate deep enough into the wood, so that the problem is not tackled at the root cause. A woodworm infestation is best controlled by professionals who work with extra powerful chemicals. Both the larvae and the eggs must be controlled with the woodworm repellent, otherwise the pests will not be eradicated and the problem will return.
Woodworm infestation? You will have an appointment within 24 hours!
In the event of a woodworm infestation, immediately call in the Van der Velden pest control service to combat it with a professional woodworm pesticide. We will contact you within 24 hours after your request. Please contact us via call me back. You can also reach us via the contact form. Request a quote, get the costs and make an appointment right away. We control woodworms in Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Almere, Haarlem, IJmuiden, Hoofddorp, Uithoorn, Utrecht and ‘t Gooi, among others. With Van der Velden Pest Control Service, you will no longer be bothered by a nasty woodworm infestation.
