Woodworm
Control - why we use wood preservatives In
the UK we are mainly concerned with woodworm treatment for Common Furniture Beetle,
(Anobium punctatum, in Latin). We need to practice safe woodworm beetle treatment
because of the long term damage that the woodworm larvae (grubs) cause in structural
and decorative woodwork in domestic houses and commercial buildings. Knowledge
of the life cycle of the common furniture beetle (usually just called 'Woodworm'
for short) is important when carrying out woodworm treatment because we cannot
stop adult Woodworm beetles emerging using normal timber treatments, no matter
which surface applied woodworm treatment product we use. To eventually cure woodworm
we first need to break the 'egg laying cycle'. Common
furniture beetle starts life as an egg. These are laid on a bare, unpainted timber
surface, or in cracks and crevices, end grain and down old emergence holes.
These larvae hatch, bore into the sap wood, where they cause most of the damage.
The larvae feed on the wood and this 'worm' becomes larger for up to 5 years.
At some stage the wood worm moves close to the surface and constructs a pupal
chamber. Between May and
August the adult emerges from its pupal skin and chews its way out leaving the
familiar 'woodworm holes'. When they cut their way out they are not actually feeding
- the adult does not eat! When the adult beetles have emerged they mate and lay
eggs, frequently down the old emergence holes and into the pupal chambers and
tunnels. Sometimes both mating and egg laying can take place within the emergence
hole itself.
WOOD
PRESERVATIVE AND BIOCIDE SAFETY Use
Wood Preservatives and Biocides safely. Always read the label and product information
Data Sheet before use. Wear
the correct safety equipment and keep unprotected people and animals out of the
treated area for the statutory period given on the label, or until surfaces are
dry, which ever is the longer. All
products have some hazards and the COSHH Regulations (Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health) apply to ALL building repair and construction products that we sell,
even Cement. If in doubt
consult us for free technical help. Take care not to contaminate soil, waterways
or the environment with the product or the waste and packaging. These can be returned
to us for disposal. Avoid
using any type of chemical in your home if any of the following are likely to
come into contact with the spray or treated surfaces: animals, fish, birds, babies,
young children, asthmatics, pregnant women or those vulnerable due to ill health. On-going
European reclassification of Pesticides has resulted in our Borax product having
to carry a warning label (for the first time since 1890) on all products used
at over 5.5% BAE concentration. This label is a warning that if you eat the product
and then became pregnant you might give birth to a slightly underweight
baby, or suffer a slight reduction in the size of your testes. The tests, on rats,
required them to eat the human equivalent of 18 level teaspoons full of Borate
(DOT) per day for 2 years. We believe that you are unlikely to do this and the
lack of any other negative evidence, despite the severe European Review process,
suggests that this product is very safe indeed. Our
Woodworm Treatment products do not need to even reach the 5% concentration level
to be effective, so many are not subject to any additional labelling because of
their unblemished safety record. See
our Technical section for more information.
Other
Property Repair Systems Group Web Sites: www.dampness-info.co.uk
- how to treat penetrating dampness in walls and plaster www.deck-treatment.co.uk
- how to treat patio decks and yacht decks www.dryrot.biz
- how to cure and prevent Dry Rot www.epoxy-info.co.uk
- epoxies, polyesters and polyurethanes for all applications www.furniture-outdoors.com
- all weather cane garden furniture, luxury Danish designs www.joist-repair.co.uk
- how to quickly repair joists and beams of any size www.propertyrepairsystems.co.uk
- fire retardent paints, hygiene products, metal bracket manufacture, crack injection www.timber.org.uk
- systems of repair, with step by step methods www.timber-repair.co.uk
- how to repair timbers in buildings without wrecking the place
How
to Treat Wood Worm Woodworm
treatment is essential, if active woodworm is present, in order to prevent
woodworm eggs from successfully boring into the timber and continuing the woodworm
life cycle. If woodworm, or worse still Death Watch Beetle, is allowed to continue,
the timber will be structurally weakened by the furniture beetle flight holes.
These exit holes are evidence of an attack of some type of woodworm, but the size
of the exit hole is important in determining the beetle species and hence its
life cycle. Death watch Beetle has a much longer cycle (8 to 10 years) than Common
Furniture Beetle (3 to 5 years), so woodworm treatment, as a woodworm killer,
has to be adapted to suit the insect involved. Timber treatment is only part of
the woodworm story. Dampness also plays an important part in woodworm attack,
so timber treatment must take account of damp, its source and its control or elimination.
Fortunately, Boron based products love moisture - they 'seek' the dampest parts
of the wood, thus protecting the most vulnerable areas. Consult
our Qualified Woodworm Experts for safe, odour free Woodworm Treatment. We supply
a Licensed Borax product as an Insecticide - very safe, no smell and permanent.
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Property
Repair Systems
Unit 3, Olympus Business Park, Kingsteignton Road
Newton
Abbot, Devon, TQ12 2SN
T: 01626 221301
F: 01626 331143
E: help@propertyrepairsystems.co.uk
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