Unit 20, Dales Court Business Centre

95 Dales Road, Ipswich

Suffolk, IP1 4JR

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01473 747559

office@maljon.co.uk

WOODWORMS & INSECTS

Woodworm & Insects

RID YOUR PROPERTY OF PESTS

WOOD BORING INSECTS

There are a number of species of Woodboring Insects, and the precise method of treatment will depend on which species is attacking the timber.

The most common species of woodboring insect in the UK is the Common Furniture Beetle. This species can be identified by the small, round holes they leave on the timber’s surface. In most cases, the fix is simple. Any structurally-weakened timber must be replaced with pre-treated timber. All affected surfaces should then be sprayed with a woodworm insecticide.

Other woodboring insects common to the UK include the Death Watch Beetle, House Longhorn Beetle, and the Powderpost Beetle. Whilst the Powderpost beetle can be treated in much the same way as the Common Furniture Beetle, House Longhorn and Death Watch Beetle infestations require a bit more.

Beetles are the insect most responsible for timber damage. The adults lay their eggs on the wood surface, within the bark or splits in the timber.

Woodworm attacks are varied. Different species can infest different timber and their larval life-span can range from 10 months to 11 years. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to solicit the help of an expert such as Maljon. In some cases, a woodworm infestation treatment is not necessary. 

We do not guarantee against Death Watch Beetle due to the Death Watch Beetle larva living in the timber for a considerable amount of time, i.e. up to 8 years, the larva being deep-seated, infestations within the timber can continue for this period after surface treatment only has been carried out, thus causing extensive damage. In the unlikely case that the Timber Treatments cannot be guaranteed, this will be explained in writing in your report. 

PREVENTING WOOD ROT & PESTS

Accounting for roughly 70% of reported damp problems in domestic dwellings, condensation can also contribute to wood boring insect infestations and fungal decay outbreaks.


Condensation can often be attributed to poor balance between heating and ventilation. This results in a rise in relative humidity.


Warm air can hold more water vapour than cold. When warm air cools, it deposits the water that it can no longer retain as condensation on a cold surface. This can occur when the heating is switched off at night. Breathing onto a mirror or other cool surface yields a similar effect.


A family of 4 can produce up to 16 pints of water vapour every day, which can result from the use of tumble dryers, the act of drying wet clothes on radiators, showers and bath use, cooking and even normal respiration.

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