Despite their tiny size, insects with wood-eating larvae can cause major structural damage to your home. If you fear an invasion, we have gathered here the essential information to identify these pests and secure your assets.
Invisible but devastating, wood-eating insects attack the very structure of your homecausing costly and sometimes irreversible damage. These very small insects feed on parquet wood, beams or frames by digging galleries which considerably weaken the structure of homes. Invisible on the surface and silent, it is difficult to notice the presence of wood-eating insects in your home. With these tips and advice, discover how to recognize wood-eating insects to easily establish a diagnosis and find the treatment adapted to help you get rid of them.
What are xylophagous insects? Photos
To help you see more clearly, here is first of all the list of the most widespread wood-eating insects :
- There woodworm comes in two forms: little vrillette which measures 2 to 3 mm and the big spindle 6 to 9mm.
- THE lyctealso called brown lyctusmeasuring 2.5 to 8 mm long.
- The insect house capricorn whose size is 25mm long.
- There termite which measures between 5 and 8 mm, is the most widespread and most devastating xylophage in France.
- THE wood weevil which measures 2.5 to 5 mm long as an adult.
- THE sirexconsidered the largest of the European xylophages with a size varying from 1 to 5 cm.
How do you know if you have wood borers?
Several signs can be indicators of the presence of wood-eating insects in your home:
- Of the small holes in the floor
- Of the traces of fresh sawdust on a beam
- Of the insect corpses
If you notice one or more of these signs, you do have a borer infestation and you will need to call a professional to make a diagnosis adapted to the situation.
What treatment to get rid of wood-eating insects?
Only the professionals specializing in wood preservation and treatment can establish a precise diagnosis which will aim to identify what type of xylophagous insects you are dealing with and to implement the appropriate treatment. The steps in treating wood-eating insects by a professional generally go as follows:
- Identification of contaminated wood
- Recognition of wood-eating insects
- Logging (remove all damaged parts of the wood)
- Brushing and dusting wood
- Treatment with natural or chemical products (gas smoke bomb, thermal treatment…)
