How to Get Rid of Woodworm Beetle?

Detect the presence of woodworms

To get rid of woodworms, you have to start by spotting their presence. However, these harmful insects do not stay there to live there when they drill into wood. To find out if the house is prone to an invasion, certain points must be checked.

• Inspect damp corners of the home and watch for fungi. In fact, large wood beetles generally lay their eggs near fungi that can form in non-permeable wooden parts, joists above damp rooms, or even floors and frames with poor waterproofing.
• Check for small holes in wooden objects and structures. It is also important to examine cartoons, manuscripts, and other papers that attract library beetles.
• Identify coniferous and broadleaf wood species that are likely to be more attacked by wood beetles, unlike exotic species.

Hunt wood beetles with natural methods

To control beetles, the use of natural solutions is an option to consider. Before applying a product, you should know that it is advisable to dust off the infested parts, then to strip or clean with a wire brush to remove the paint, stain, or lacquer. This cleaning step allows better penetration of the product into the wood. Once this phase is over, it is possible to resort to various natural solutions.

• Eucalyptus essential oil: antibacterial and insecticide, eucalyptus essence is particularly effective in eliminating woodworms. To use it, you must regularly rub the wooden supports with a cloth soaked in eucalyptus essential oil. Injecting this product into the holes with a syringe is also recommended.
• Lavender: to prevent colonies of woodworms from infesting wooden furniture, it is recommended to place bouquets of lavender flowers inside, the scent of which helps ward off worms. At each change of season, it is advisable to brush the drawers and wooden furniture with a solution based on one liter of water, 250 ml of white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of lavender flowers. After a 24-hour maceration, this solution is applied directly to the furniture. It must then be allowed to dry before reusing it.
• The oil flax: to prevent the insects lodged in the small holes created in the timber supports, the use of flaxseed oil is another alternative. To do this, it must be injected into the holes using a syringe.
• The onion: to scare away the woodworms, it is necessary to rub the wood, mainly the areas with small holes, with half an onion. Another effective solution is to use this vegetable in the form of juice. To use it, it is usually necessary to soak a brush with onion juice and vigorously rub the wooden furniture. These should then be covered tightly with plastic wrap for two or three days.
• The garlic: like onion, garlic is particularly effective against beetles. To drive away these pests, it is necessary to rub the infested areas with cloves of garlic vigorously, then cover them with hermetic cellophane for several days.
• The neem oil: after the seed of Margosier, neem oil is known for its miticide, bactericidal, and insecticidal. To get rid of woodworms, they must be injected into the holes.
• Citrus essence: like lavender, citrus essence gives off a scent that scares woodworms. This product is to be injected into the holes, preferably in spring, to eliminate the larvae.

Eliminate woodworms with chemicals

If natural solutions do not work, the use of chemical insecticides is required. These products are generally applied by basting with a soft brush. It is also possible to inject the insecticide with a syringe. It is first necessary to drill holes of 10 to 15 mm to two-thirds of the wood’s thickness using a small auger. Once the piercing is complete, the injection can be performed. The holes must then be filled with wood glue. The bleach can also be injected into the holes visible on the wooden supports. Despite its effectiveness, however, this product tends to lighten the wood.

Other methods to eliminate wood beetles

If the beetle infestation is heavy, other methods can be applied. If these harmful insects have taken over wooden objects or furniture, it is possible to:

• Place sufficiently small items in the freezer. This method eliminates worms that cannot stand the extreme cold.
• Enclose objects or furniture in a waterproof cover, then completely extract the air. Indeed, anoxia radically eliminates pests.
• Proceed to fumigation to get rid of woodworm.

If the frames and floors are infested, the change of wood elements and ventilation of the affected area may be necessary. Once these steps have been completed, it is necessary to resort to a specialist who will carry out the probing, logging, brushing, and dusting off the infested parts. A deep treatment with an insecticide follows this step. The specialist then cleans the affected area and applies an insecticide product to the surface. It should be noted that fumigation and anoxia treatments should also be entrusted to pest control specialists who have the necessary equipment and have the necessary skills.

Prevent the appearance of woodworms

To avoid the infestation of beetles, it is advisable to adopt certain actions to prevent their development:

1. Avoid overheating the house during winter.
2. Check the humidity level in the house (it should not exceed 20%).
3. Regularly examine the wooden elements likely to attract wood beetles (wooden objects and furniture, residential structures such as frames or floors, etc.). If the slightest sign of an infestation is observed, the affected areas must be treated quickly.
4. Take the necessary measures to prevent moisture infiltration (pipe problems, water leaks, etc.) and the development of mold and fungi.