Woodworm lifecycle

The woodworm lifecycle contains 4 main stages a woodworm beetle goes through:

1. Breeding - 2. Larvae hatch - 3. Larvae start to eat - 4. Larvae turns into an adult Woodworm beetle - process repeats from stage 1.

To sucessfully eliminate your woodworm problem from reappearing Verminate understand the whole process throughout the woodworm lifecycle, we can therefore not only stop your adult woodworm problem; we eliminate woodworm at all lifecycle stages.

Woodworm lifecycle explained

For the purpose of this explanation we have made the assumption that the beetle that lands on the timber is a pregnant female.

1. Woodworm begins breeding

After mating, the woodworm beetle lays approx. 30 to 60 eggs, injecting them into the open pores of the timber, often open grain sawed ends. Eggs are never laid onto sealed or varnished surfaces. It is common for the beetle to lay the eggs down the old "Flight holes" , and tunnels, often well below the surface. The Eggs are laid singly or in rows of two, three or four.The Egg has a life of 14 to 28 days after laying.

2. Woodworm Larvae hatch

After a few weeks the eggs hatch downwards into the timber and produce larvae - this is the worm stage of the infestation. Symbiotic yeast's enable the larvae to convert cellulose to protein in their gut, and this process is assisted by a secretion of enzyme which breaks down material to simpler sugars. Factors which contribute to the rate of Larval development are: Temperature, Humidity & nutritional value of the timber.

3. Woodworm larvae start to eat

The woodworm larvae carries on for anywhere between 2 and 5 years. In that time the larvae eats its way up and down the timbers and causes structural damage to the timber. It is at this stage in the lifecycle that the frass, or dust, that is associated with woodworm is produced. Towards the end of the woodworm lifecycle, larvae form a pupal chamber where it enlarges the tunneling towards the surface of the timber and pupates from the larval stage into an adult beetle.

4. Larvae turns into a woodworm beetle

The adult beetle then eats its way through the last thin veneer of timber producing the round exit holes that you normally see. From this point, the woodworm beetle causes very little damage to the timber. It is the round exit holes that normally identify timber that has been subjected to woodworm beetle infestation. The females live for between 10 and 14 days where as their male counterparts only live between 3 and 4 days. Once the adult male beetles have emerged from the chamber their sole purpose is to mate with as many female partners in their short lifespan and the lifecycle continues.

The Adult beetle lives for about a 4 week period, during which time it lays its eggs. Both mating and egg laying can take place within the emergence hole (Flight-hole) itself. Females shelter in flight holes periodically after emergence and hence there are many opportunities for re-infesting attacked wood.

More on woodworm and treatments

Call Verminate for free impartial advice or you are welcome to call one of our local office's for a site visit where we can inspect and advise on what treatment is recommended and neccesary to prevent and limit further damage.

To find out more about treating and limiting the damage from woodworm, visit the following webpages:

Common Furniture Beetle

Deathwatch Beetle

House Longhorn Beetle

Powderpost Beetle

Woodworm Home

Woodworm Lifecycle

Woodworm Tips

Woodworm Survey

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