treating woodworm on an old bench?

[ptturner]

I recently bought a coronet wood lathe with homemade wooden stand. On getting the beast home I noticed the stand had some woodworm and was wondering about treatment. Im also worried about infestation spreading to my existing workbench and wood supply.

One treatment I had considered is to char the surface to make the wood unpaletable to critters, Ive evidence of this method in some old houses on the beams.

What are other peoples thoughts?

 

[Blackswanwood]

Are you sure it is an active infestation rather than just old exit holes? If you are unsure I would treat with Sika woodworm killer or a similar proprietary product and fill the holes with wax.

 

[ptturner]

Dont know if the holes are active woodworm or old, I was looking for some oldschool remedies rather than off the shelf solutions.

 

[EddyCurrent]

They emerge in April so best to get on top of it soon.

 

[TheTiddles]

Dont know if the holes are active woodworm or old, I was looking for some oldschool remedies rather than off the shelf solutions.

Old school remedies include burning it, covering in tar or doing nothing.

Kiln dried timber kept in a dry garage will also get affected, I’d treat it with an insecticide or burn it.

Aidan

 

[TheUnicorn]

just out of interest does anyone know whether the dust created by the worm (beetle larvae i believe) is produced all the time, or only in certain months / temperatures? I guess what I want to know is will looking for dust always tell me if worm is active?

 

[Cabinetman]

In my experience the dust arrives as the Beatles emerge May June July time, it’s created by their chewing their way out.
If you have an infested piece of wood which you knock or vibrate it’s quite possible to get dust falling out of it at any time of course, I’m talking about static furniture suddenly showing dust underneath. Ian

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

In forty years of treating woodworm infestations in antique furniture I have never heard of charing the wood to treat it and can't think how it would work. The larvae are deep inside the timber and when they turn into beatles they chew their way out so how is charing the surface going to prevent that?
If you want to treat your bench for woodworm use a proprietary insecticide, any one, they all work. The instructions on the can are to brush or spray the surface of the timber affected and that works well. If you want to be absolutely sure you get them all then do what I do, inject the fluid into each and every hole with a hypodermic, tedious work!

 

[Terrytpot]

 

[Jacob]

If your workshop is dry I wouldn't worry. There may be more in there yet to emerge but they need a degree of damp to carry on fornicating and having babies.

 

[TheTiddles]

In forty years of treating woodworm infestations in antique furniture I have never heard of charing the wood to treat it and can't think how it would work. The larvae are deep inside the timber and when they turn into beatles they chew their way out so how is charing the surface going to prevent that?
If you want to treat your bench for woodworm use a proprietary insecticide, any one, they all work. The instructions on the can are to brush or spray the surface of the timber affected and that works well. If you want to be absolutely sure you get them all then do what I do, inject the fluid into each and every hole with a hypodermic, tedious work!

I wasn’t meaning charring the surface, I mean the whole thing in a bonfire!

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

I wasn’t meaning charring the surface, I mean the whole thing in a bonfire!

I guessed you weren’t but ptturner I think was!

 

[TheUnicorn]

interested in the charred finish idea, I'm assuming something along the lines of shou-sugi-ban. I can see this possibly putting of new infestations (though I've personally never heard of this), but I'm more sceptical as to what effect it would have on larvae inside the wood, I don't think the heat would be enough to kill them, maybe the smoke would drive them out of the wood??

 

[TheTiddles]

It’ll probably do what the charred finish does for most things, makes it look like burned toast. May as well do the job properly.

Or buy £5 worth of woodworm treatment and be done with it

Aidan