I think I may have woodworm in my legs!

[milltech]

Hi and thanks in advance for the assistance.

I am in Spain and I have a 400 year old-ish Jacobean Table and 8 chairs. We've been away for many months and returned to find the things covered in mildew. Anyway that's not a problem, lots of polishing and house airing going on here.

However in polishing I've notice woodworm holes in the chair legs. Now it seems to me it would be a surprise if ancient furniture did not have woodworm holes so please, (A) How can I tell if they're "live" and (B) how can I make sure they're all deduns in short order?

My late parents and I have owned these things for about 65 years and I can't remember ever noticing stuff before, but probably I never really looked.

John

 

[Racers]

Woodworm need moisture, mildew is caused by damp, so you might have active wood worm.
Do you get any frass from the holes?


Pete

 

[Droogs]

This is a great place to get some info:
http://www.btpreservation.co.uk/technic ... UJZwFHTVaQ

 

[milltech]

Thanks for that. No obvious frass but a torch on the subject makes some of the holes look a bit new. Can't be much nourishment in a 400 year old chair! One can buy a can of spray stuff out here, but as these are pretty much round the feet I was wondering if some form of killer liquid in a bean can might do the trick, one leg at a time? What might one use that won't kill the chair too? (edit: or me).

 

[demonwolf444]

If i ever have a suspect piece its soaked in wood worm killing stuff for 24 hours then applied daily until my dreams of my stored timber turning to dust are gone. I store quite a lot of walnut and this is on a six monthly cycle of treatment for woodworm, none of it has woodworm but its just not worth the risk.

 

[milltech]

Demonwolf thanks for the advice. Would you have a preferred gloop for finished woodwork, I'd rather not damage the finish while I'm soaking it.

 

[AndyT]

Once you have satisfied yourself that there are no active larvae waiting to emerge (by killing them, or by patient observation) you could do what I do with old wooden tools. I use sticks of coloured wax. I heat up a small old screwdriver in a lighter flame, and melt the wax into the holes until they are all filled up.
I then know that if I do see a hole on that piece, it's a new one and I have a problem that I need to do something about.
I think this is safer than just telling myself that the holes are probably old.