John15
Established Member
I've been given an old and attractive dining chair with a some loose joints which I would like to repair but I notice their are 4 fresh woodworm flight holes. Has anyone a suggestion what I should do?
John
John
Dealing with woodworm
- Thread starter John15
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blackrodd
Established Member
Keep it out of the house is the first consideration, Make sure it is just the four, or at least not loads and treat with Cuprinol or Rentokill,as a can or a spray from the sheds etc, and keep an eye on it.
Go on Google and look up what to look out for in woodworm action.
If it's a big area of worm, you may want some of the Boron from the link, below, I'm told it's very good.
Mix it as a spray, you need the usual precautions with a poison, and spray twice, apparently also acts as a fire retardant
Too!
HTH Regards Rodders
Go on Google and look up what to look out for in woodworm action.
If it's a big area of worm, you may want some of the Boron from the link, below, I'm told it's very good.
Mix it as a spray, you need the usual precautions with a poison, and spray twice, apparently also acts as a fire retardant
Too!
HTH Regards Rodders
As above, but also don't panic - woodworm prefer wood to be cool and damp, so assuming you live in an ordinary modern house with central heating in winter, you are very unlikely to see a re-infestation or a spread to other wood in your house.
If you fill the holes after treatment (Liberon sticks of coloured wax are good for this) you can see if any new holes do appear.
If you fill the holes after treatment (Liberon sticks of coloured wax are good for this) you can see if any new holes do appear.
Emanuel
Established Member
Also, make sure there are no larvae beside the worms and never treat firewood with pesticides. The majority of common firewood insects won't be affected and then it might become a health hazard for you.
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
It's OK if there are holes the bug**rs have gone. But there might still be a few more in there. If so they'll pop out July August and you will see new holes. I wouldn't worry about it.
John15
Established Member
Many thanks everyone for your advice. I was beginning to panic but your posts have reassured me on the way forward. I've ordered a can of Rentokill spray, and in the meantime I've put the chair in the greenhouse.
John
John
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
I'd keep it in the house. The more it dries the more inhospitable it will be for the worm. The greenhouse would be a breeding ground!.John15":13cikgbg said:
nick winfield
Established Member
theres no point on sparying if theres varnish on it as it want soak in ,as its a micro emulsion it kills on contact
John15
Established Member
Yes, the greenhouse isn't the best place so I'll bring it in.
Most of the joints are open so I'll be able to get some spray into them as well as the holes. My plan is to restore the chair as it's a nice design - to my eyes anyway.
I'll put a photo up tomorrow and perhaps get some help from you guys on how to strengthen the joints.
John
Most of the joints are open so I'll be able to get some spray into them as well as the holes. My plan is to restore the chair as it's a nice design - to my eyes anyway.
I'll put a photo up tomorrow and perhaps get some help from you guys on how to strengthen the joints.
John
blackrodd
Established Member
nick winfield":20d6s20r said:
For the small amount of flight holes, I'd be using this straight in the nasty nuisances nest, using the spray tube.
You've gotta get the stuff right in!
Rodders
http://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatalog/R ... oCEvTw_wcB
If they are going to pop out it will be in about a months time. I wouldn't bother with any of the chemical treatments, it's useless and a complete waste of money. Of course I know people will ignore my advice, just out of fear. Got to be seen to be doing something. You are, helping the profits of Rentokil. Just put the item in the driest part of the house. They don't like dry wood at all, they'll fly off to find better pastures. That's all assuming it's the common furniture beetle, anobium punctatum.
BTW. I have a fair amount of experience of anobium punctatum. I've seen dozens and dozens of cases. Every single one was in damp conditions. Not once have I ever seen it in dry wood. I've even had a bad case in my own house, cellar joists. Yes, you've got it - a damp cellar. I've even stored fresh cases in my own wood stock, right next to very expensive tonewood. I even watched some surface and exit. I saw numbers of them landing on the white painted walls of the workshop. I didn't worry one little bit, just bid them farewell. I knew they wouldn't stay. They didn't, the workshop is too dry.
PS. This recent purchase came with relatively fresh woodworm holes (probably last years).
14-wooden-jack-t96348.html
I did nothing except fill the holes with superglue. The plane then went on the workshop shelf, just above more of my wood stocks. I'm not the slightest bit worried.
BTW. I have a fair amount of experience of anobium punctatum. I've seen dozens and dozens of cases. Every single one was in damp conditions. Not once have I ever seen it in dry wood. I've even had a bad case in my own house, cellar joists. Yes, you've got it - a damp cellar. I've even stored fresh cases in my own wood stock, right next to very expensive tonewood. I even watched some surface and exit. I saw numbers of them landing on the white painted walls of the workshop. I didn't worry one little bit, just bid them farewell. I knew they wouldn't stay. They didn't, the workshop is too dry.
PS. This recent purchase came with relatively fresh woodworm holes (probably last years).
14-wooden-jack-t96348.html
I did nothing except fill the holes with superglue. The plane then went on the workshop shelf, just above more of my wood stocks. I'm not the slightest bit worried.
John15
Established Member
Mignal,
Thanks for your comments. So if I bring the chair into my dry house, where will any emerging woodworm fly to or will they just die in the dry conditions?
John
Thanks for your comments. So if I bring the chair into my dry house, where will any emerging woodworm fly to or will they just die in the dry conditions?
John
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
They fly around a bit looking for a mate and a home. You can often spot them - little brown slow-flying beetle. If they find the right spot they'll lay their egg in suitable crevices. They seem to prefer certain species - beech is number one. I wonder if they are species specific?
It needs to be slightly damp so even if the item has been brought in from the damp some time ago it might still be OK, but anything in a normally dry domestic interior for long enough is just about untouchable.
On the other hand you could put a 100 year old item in the attic or a shed and it might attract it's first ever woodworm attack.
It needs to be slightly damp so even if the item has been brought in from the damp some time ago it might still be OK, but anything in a normally dry domestic interior for long enough is just about untouchable.
On the other hand you could put a 100 year old item in the attic or a shed and it might attract it's first ever woodworm attack.
They might prefer certain species, I'm not sure. The vast majority of cases that I've seen have been in pine. They seem to like maple and obviously beech. I have some ebony with flight holes but that stuff came from the supplier like that. Being an exotic it may well be a different type of wood infestation.
I formed my opinion on them after being an electricians mate, many many years ago. Electricians mate (and these were all 100 year old + victorian houses) sees pretty much every square ft. of the house, from the dark recesses of cellars right through to attic and loft spaces. Everywhere between too. The pattern was always the same. Damp conditions.
Probably the worst case I saw was when I lifted the flooring and a few floorboards in a bathroom. The joists were absolutely riddled with the flight holes. In fact the actual old cast iron bath was in danger of landing on the next floor down. There was not one flight hole in the adjacent rooms, often sharing the very same joist as the bathroom. The reason was obvious. The bath itself had obviously been leaking for a number of years, you could see the water marks on what was left of the joists. They replaced the joists and got the spray people in. They sprayed the whole of that particular floor. I refused to go back.
Cellars often showed signs, frequently. It was extremely rare to see any signs in the floors above. In fact I can only remember two cases and one of those was that bathroom. Prior to discovering the decimation of the joists in my own cellar I started to see the beetles landing on the walls of the room above. I saw dozens of them, so I knew something was amiss. Sure enough 3 joists in my own cellar (the 3 nearest to the damp wall) was riddled with them. I replaced those joists and the floorboards. I then put in some more air grates. That was 15 years ago. No further sign.
It's all pretty logical. If they were landing on the walls of the room above, why didn't they infest the wood in that room? If they attacked the 3 joists in the cellar, why not all the others? When I stored infested maple wood in my workshop, why didn't they attack my maple? The pattern is always the same. They cannot put up with dry conditions.
I formed my opinion on them after being an electricians mate, many many years ago. Electricians mate (and these were all 100 year old + victorian houses) sees pretty much every square ft. of the house, from the dark recesses of cellars right through to attic and loft spaces. Everywhere between too. The pattern was always the same. Damp conditions.
Probably the worst case I saw was when I lifted the flooring and a few floorboards in a bathroom. The joists were absolutely riddled with the flight holes. In fact the actual old cast iron bath was in danger of landing on the next floor down. There was not one flight hole in the adjacent rooms, often sharing the very same joist as the bathroom. The reason was obvious. The bath itself had obviously been leaking for a number of years, you could see the water marks on what was left of the joists. They replaced the joists and got the spray people in. They sprayed the whole of that particular floor. I refused to go back.
Cellars often showed signs, frequently. It was extremely rare to see any signs in the floors above. In fact I can only remember two cases and one of those was that bathroom. Prior to discovering the decimation of the joists in my own cellar I started to see the beetles landing on the walls of the room above. I saw dozens of them, so I knew something was amiss. Sure enough 3 joists in my own cellar (the 3 nearest to the damp wall) was riddled with them. I replaced those joists and the floorboards. I then put in some more air grates. That was 15 years ago. No further sign.
It's all pretty logical. If they were landing on the walls of the room above, why didn't they infest the wood in that room? If they attacked the 3 joists in the cellar, why not all the others? When I stored infested maple wood in my workshop, why didn't they attack my maple? The pattern is always the same. They cannot put up with dry conditions.
John15
Established Member
That woodworm damage looks very minor. There's more damage to my plane than that chair.
I assume the joints were originally glued with animal glue. You could wash some of it out with hot water, if only to clean out the dust and grime. Reglue with animal glue, which will solve the old glue.
Nice enough chair. Worth restoring.
I assume the joints were originally glued with animal glue. You could wash some of it out with hot water, if only to clean out the dust and grime. Reglue with animal glue, which will solve the old glue.
Nice enough chair. Worth restoring.
107Bee
New member
Hi John, I am wondering what you decided to do about the woodworm in the lovely chair here? Did you treat it in the end or decide to leave it? I have a couple of pieces of furniture that have visible flight holes but I am reticent to use chemicals to treat it. I'd very very grateful for any advice you have - thank you!
