Ineffective woodworm treatment? Re-generate an old or tired space and give it a fresh breath of life. Click here for answers, information and tips

[Natasha3]

Hi! A few years ago I paid a local company to treat my loft for woodworm while I was renewing the stud walls and some flooring. I have been doing insulation work since ( yes a protracted job!) and still see signs of activity. Rang the chap who did the work and was told that this is normal as the beetles are made infertile, rather than killed. Am I being taken for a pillock!
Thanks in anticipation...

[stoneyboy]

Natasha3,
The usual treatment method is to spray the surface of the timber with a poison. The woodworm beetle come into contact with the poison when they lay their eggs or pupate and come to the surface. The life of the larvae can be about 4 years so activity (characterised by fresh dust under infected timbers) may carry on for this period of time.
Have a look at any guarantees you were given when the treatment was carried out.
Ask the company for a data sheet on the chemicals they used.
I suggest you get in another company to give you a report on the WW activity, use this to persuade the original company to return or get the loft re-treated with the "report" company.
end

[the specialist]

If you still have beetles emerging after 3 years you should insist on re-treatment. However if the timbers you find woodworm in were not accessible for treatment originally they won't be covered by the guarantee.

When I took my examinations I was taught that the poison killed the emerging beetle - slowly. The larvae emerging from the new eggs were poisoned as they eat their way into the timber.

The beetles die approximately 6 weeks after emerging any way.

Aidan