Woodworm advice

[ElectronicFur]

So after ripping up the flea-ridden carpet, I found underneath it a wooden laminate floor, underneath that an underlay of some sort, and underneath that plastic membrane, and underneath that what appear to be the original flagstones.

This room smelled damp, the walls were damp with peeling lining paper, and the corners of the wooden floor looked damp.

So mystery of the damp is solved, as it appears the moisture could go nowhere but the walls. But the damp wood has attracted a wood eating beetle of some sort. It mainly ate the top layer of the wooden laminate, the bit on the edges underneath skirting. But also some skirting board. The flea spray at least killed the beetles I have found.

I'm started removing the wood flooring and plastic today. There is a skirting rail attached to the main skirting board, when the wood laminate was installed, and I will obviously remove this rail. But should I replace the main original skirting board in case it has larvae in it, or let it all dry out, and they will no longer be interested in the wood?

 

[Cynan]

I don’t think you need to replace it - that’s based on moving into a house that has signs of woodworm in the original beams and being told they were treated and our fine...

So presumably treating them will sort out any worm still there if you want to keep the original skirting.

 

[livias]

The beetles normally live on decaying trees etc. They will not be able to live in dry wood in a centrally heated house so don't worry. Skirting boards are not structural timbers so its all down to the aesthetics

The flagstones look interesting. With any luck they will clean up well ...

 

[88v8]

Yes, generally they will only eat damp wood.

But there are exceptions. They seem to love plywood, for example. We had an Edwardian glass display cabinet, parents-in-laws', had worm in the ply backing that survived very well in our former undamp house.
And in our cellar here, there's a 1900ish oak cupboard that has worm, I treat it now and then. Not damp as such , although the rh down there is often in the 60%s.

Your house, I guess has no dpm, dpc. So by some standards it could always be a bit 'damp', depending how much ventilation you allow.

Therefore I'd be inclined to treat the wormy skirting, rather than let Mr Worm decide he might like to set up shop elsewhere in the house.
Cuprinol 5 Star seems to do the trick. Reassuringly whiffy.
But for local squirting, this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cuprinol-Woodworm-killer-Woodworm-Wood-treatment-500ml-low-odour/183201918145?hash=item2aa7af6cc1:ghMAAOSwtvpa5j-u has a nice pointy nozzle so you can just inject it into the holes.

Ivor

 

[CliffordPope]

It perhaps depends what kind of beetles they are. The ones in your photo aren't ordinary "woodworm" - they are smaller and stubbier, and make a satisfying crunch if you squash one with the flat of your finger nail.
In my experience it is over-simplistic to say woodworm only choose damp wood. They do indeed love old dry plywood, and also wooden tools, handles etc. I've had active woodworm in a wooden clock on a mantlepiece over a fire, and in a door of a kitchen normally warm and dry from a Rayburn. When I've found woodworm living outdoors it's always in very dry dead wood, never in the damp.

Whatever they are, I'd dry it out and treat them anyway.

 

[ElectronicFur]

Yes, I dont know what type of beetle they are. I couldnt identify them on any of the usual lists of woodworm types. They certainly make that satisfying crunchy sound when squashed

I will go with the Cuprinol treatment as suggested. I dont have any holes in the main skirting board. The holes were all in the skirting rail and wood laminate which I removed. Of course they could well be in the back of the main skirting board on the non-painted side.

Can this Cuprinol be applied on the painted wood, or do I need to remove the paint first?

No dpm dpc. Pretty sure these flagstones are direct on soil considering how damp they were:

The right side in that photo is where I just ripped off the plastic, underlay and boards, and the left side was done the day before, and that left side is already a lot drier. Some of the surface of the stone seems to be flaking off in places as it dries out, is that normal?

 

[plasticpigeon]

The flags look really nice lucky you!!!

 

[Flyfisher]

The right side in that photo is where I just ripped off the plastic, underlay and boards, and the left side was done the day before, and that left side is already a lot drier. Some of the surface of the stone seems to be flaking off in places as it dries out, is that normal?

Not sure about the stone flaking but the pattern of damp is normal in my experience. We have a similar floor (pamments) laid directly on the ground and it all feels dry to the touch, but if covered with plastic it will quickly 'sweat' because the moisture is trapped. Think of your normally dry hand quickly becoming sweaty when using a rubber glove because the constantly evaporating moisture becomes trapped with nowhere to go.

So the trick is to ensure adequate ventilation above the floor. Things like shelving units and cupboards can be stood on thin battens to allow airflow across the tiles, which should prevent a build up of damp.

 

[88v8]

Can this Cuprinol be applied on the painted wood, or do I need to remove the paint first?

Some of the surface of the stone seems to be flaking off in places as it dries out, is that normal?

Bare wood only.
I have noticed that sometimes worm is to be found extensively in one piece of wood, but another adjacent will be untouched. Perhaps they're saving it for later, or the bouquet does not appeal.
Vacuum, then slip a piece of paper under the skirting, give the skirting a few taps with a croquet mallet, and see if any frass has fallen down onto the paper from behind. If not, Mr Worm was only in the bead and you could skip the treatment.

Some stone does start to delaminate when continually wet.

Ivor

 

[Kearn]

No dpm dpc. Pretty sure these flagstones are direct on soil considering how damp they were:

See, ripping up carpets is so satisfying! Especially when you find a beautiful floor like that still in situ!

 

[Easrow]

We found a woodworm or beetle of some sort in our place. We have been treating as we go with a spray and it seems to stop them. Interestingly we found a hard catnip toy in a kitchen cupboard had been munched on but nothing else. We have also found flagstones hidden under concrete poured on top which we are removing. The flags are blue lias and are delaminating where they have been wet for so long. You can clean them up to look good. They do dry out nicely and are laid directly on the soil below. we are replacing broksn ones in the same way they were originally laid and have had no damp issues. As said earlier keep things off it. Sofas that are on legs work well as they keep ventilation and also you can see the lovely stone.

 

[Lime]

.......... Interestingly we found a hard catnip toy in a kitchen cupboard had been munched on but nothing else........

It is quite common IME that items made of wood bought as souvenirs or toys can have beetle already in them. i.e. nothing to do with the house.

 

[Matt Green]

They are wood-boring weevils: Euophryum confine or E. rufum they don't have a common name but occasionally get referred to as New Zealand weevils. Imported into the UK in the early 20th century they spread all over the country.

Unusual in that the adults and the larvae both eat timber through the lifecycle which is 18-24 months (ish). Feed on cheap softwood joinery timbers usually those with a high sapwood content. They fly when the timber starts to dry out and can't eat timber when the hardness starts to rise as the process occurs.

No treatment is required other than drying for these beetles (particularly-they have a poor tolerance to low humidity).

But for local squirting, this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cuprinol-Woodworm-killer-Woodworm-Wood-treatment-500ml-low-odour/183201918145?hash=item2aa7af6cc1:ghMAAOSwtvpa5j-u has a nice pointy nozzle so you can just inject it into the holes.

I particularly hate those nozzles for wood-boring insects: the 1981 Control of Pesticides Act states that one should not apply insecticide to areas without clear evidence of the presence of pests. If there is one place I can guarantee that you won't find a wood-boring insect it's at the bottom of a flight tunnel it's just flown out of. Really, truly, s##t products.

 

[Matt Green]

I have noticed that sometimes worm is to be found extensively in one piece of wood, but another adjacent will be untouched. Perhaps they're saving it for later, or the bouquet does not appeal.

They are feeding on the outer sapwood portion of the timber. Each piece of timber will have a different percentage sapwood content depending upon where it was cut from the tree, so each piece will have a different risk of attack from wood-boring insects. Heartwood contains tannins, phenols and each extractives that make it durable and impervious to attack unless those chemicals (referred to as 'extractives' are extracted by dilution in water.

 

[Matt Green]

Interestingly we found a hard catnip toy in a kitchen cupboard had been munched on but nothing else.

Biscuit beetle, Stegobium paniceum, is a pest of compressed organic matter like catnip, teabags, OXO cubes- that sort of thing. that are very closely related to furniture beetle.

Probably no need to have treated any of the timber.

 

[Easrow]

Probably no need to have treated any of the timber.

We had found wood worm in the beams skirting boards and floor boards previously in other rooms...some of which still live. That is all we sprayed as a precaution. I wasn't concerned about the catnip toy recently as it was only there. We just threw it away.