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Waka

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Got home a couple of hours ago and thought it would be nice to check out the workshop and unpack a few parcels that came while I was away, oh joy more nice goodies to play with.

Last time I was home I made a table for my drill press, then made the fence, I couldn't attach the fence becasue I was waiting for the "T" bar things.

To my shock and horror I noticed that the fence had a few holes in it that looked like wood worm, they didn't appear to be fresh, but I've been away for a month. I went through the shelve that the wood came from and found one or two other bits showing small signs. Not good I thought because the other shelves below this one has about 6 cubes of maple.

To be on the safe side I cleaned the shelf off that I took the wood from for the fence and its now ready for the dump.

Did a quick check of the roof joists and couldn't see any evidence of worm and a cursury look at the maple and all seems well.
Question is how mobile are these little criters?

I've never had any problems in the past with worm and all my wood has come from British hardwoods, except the last time home I got a small piece from another supplier because I ran out. Methinks it might have been that piece that had the worm.

Advice on what I should do, should I spray all the maple with treatment or do you think the distance of about 5 feet would have been enough to stop the criters getting to it?

Also would it be wise at this stage to spray all the joists as well?
 
My understanding of woodworm is that the larvae emerge as small flying beetles around July time causing the tell tale flight hole, mate, lay the eggs and this starts the cycle again where the larvae can feed for a few years before emerging as adults.
Its probably best to treat everything now just to be safe.
beejay

http://community.webshots.com/user/eunos9
 
I don't know enough about wood worms to give you any information but I wouldn't toss the wood just jet. Over here, anyway, people pay good money for wormy wood. I'd get it out of the shop to hopefully keep the worms from getting into any more of your stock. There must be something you can get to kill the little blighters.
 
Waka,
There is a good deal of stuff here on woodworm if you check the search facility.

Sorry to hear that you have it but I wouldn't worry overmuch. You have possibly overlooked the holes previously - was there any frass to be seen or just the flight holes?

Were the holes in heartwood or just sapwood (you will frequently see in wood you buy that there are wormholes in the sapwood - nearly always in kilned wood, these predate kilning and can be ignored, or the sapwood cut away if holes are objectionable.

I suggest you pull out all your wood, dust it down well and clean up any sawdust around the area, then see if any fresh frass shows up. If you put something dark under it, it is easier to see (eg black bin bag).
 
Waka
Sorry to hear about the Worm (especially since you have a pile of timber waiting there for me to pick up :shock: )
Is it just the fence or are there other parts affected?
Cheers
Philly :D
 
Waka
IIRC the Olympic long jump record for a woodworm is 5.3248976 feet!
Good to have you back, be great to see you when you are suitably disinfected, covered in bleach, had worming tablet etc etc :lol: :lol:
If I come down to see you I will be the one in a large plastic bag.....
Regards
Martin
 
I seem to remember from my apprentership days that our common wood worm only attack softwood , The only hardwood i have seen signs of them is in a bit of mahogany/meranti . There are other worms that attack oak and maple but they are not our normal worm . The flight holes of a hardwood attacking worm would be quite a bit larger than our normal dot of a flight hole . Sorry there are no technical terms to my post but ive been out of the woodworm game for 15 years :lol:
 
I've always been told that by the time you notice the effects of woodworm in your timber it can often be too late. They'll have already moved on.

I would suggest treating and exposed ceiling joists and rafters in your 'shop, just incase they come back. You can never be too careful!
 
JFC":38z1n51z said:
I seem to remember from my apprentership days that our common wood worm only attack softwood , The only hardwood i have seen signs of them is in a bit of mahogany/meranti . There are other worms that attack oak and maple but they are not our normal worm . l:

I'm afraid the ones living in Buckinghamshire will go for <any> timber! I've just found a very eaten piece of Laburnum in my odds and ends store, and they've also attacked oak heart, yew, hornbeam...... you name it, the little b*******s will go for it! (These are the common woodworm beetle, with the 2mm flightholes, nothing larger (though I've had them too!)

Agree that once you see the holes, the damage is done and they've gone, but I'd certainly treat any structural timber nearby, and soon, because they will probably be active even earlier than usual in your nice, heated workshop.
 
2mm flight hole is not our native wood worm . 0.5 mm is a british worm :lol: I think your talking about the longhorn beetle with a 2mm flight hole wich was confined to Camberly when i was in the game . Dont quote me on that as ive been out many years . Ill check my notes as soon as poss and give you more out of date information :D
 
JFC":2sgpkrgh said:
I seem to remember from my apprentership days that our common wood worm only attack softwood
I've seen the result of infestation in hardwood plywood where they really like the glue (albumen-based)

Scrit
 
Waka wrote "I noticed that the fence had a few holes in it that looked like wood worm"

Be thankful it's only a few holes, I think I've got every type of woodworm on the planet and millions of them as well :cry:
 
Folks

Thanks for the useful advice, looks like I'll be spending the day tomorrow spraying the workshop.

When I made the fence a month ago there was no evidence of the holes, so I can only assume that that the blighters were already in there waiting for me to go off to work. The holes themslevles are about 0.5mm give or take a thou.

Philly":18mvzu34 said:
Sorry to hear about the Worm (especially since you have a pile of timber waiting there for me to pick up
Don't worry the shipment hasn't arrived yet, anyway I'l put it in the other shop.

Martin":18mvzu34 said:
If I come down to see you I will be the one in a large plastic bag.....

Do they make bags that big?
 
I reckon the easiest way to find if you have active worm on the premises is to obtain a female beauty of the species put her in a clear platic bottle and see if she attracts any suitors. If there is a show you should then spray everything. :)

Only trying to help. :p
 
devonwoody":gcixy5kk said:
I reckon the easiest way to find if you have active worm on the premises is to obtain a female beauty of the species put her in a clear platic bottle and see if she attracts any suitors. If there is a show you should then spray everything. :)

Only trying to help. :p

Rather a Boring Job trying to locate one in the first place though John :wink:
 
Hi Waka,

Hope that the "worms" are not too numerous - but of course, you never know. The problem is the eggs which still may be in your stock and from which new nice workshop colleagues might evolve.

If you dare (stinks!) you might try this: put all your timber/wood afflicted by wood worm with spacers in between into a gas-proof plastic bag (can more or less successfully be made from large plastic films and tape), put a cup filled with concentrated ammonia solution into the bag, lash the bag up tightly and let the perfume take effect on our little friends for at least a week or even more (depending on stock thickness). If you have time allow several weeks, adding more ammonia when necessary.
I did this procedure several times with a whole cabinet (was rather difficult to pack it into plastic) and with furniture parts and had good success. The ammonia gas kills also the eggs when a sufficient residence time is given.
I don't know these sprays very well, but am inclined to suspect them to be also poisonous for us. But maybe I am wrong here.

Good luck!

Philipp
 
Only problem about using amonia is that it "fumes" certain types of timber such as oak and sycamore to a different colour so that technique needs to be used with caution. Also amonia is toxic and should really only be handled whilst wearing the appropriate breathing apparatus

Scrit
 
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