Could my candle have woodworm? Pics attached

[TheOwlChronicles]

My friend bought me a candle last week from an online boutique type shop. It's a gingerbread scented 'dough bowl' candle and comes - you guessed it - in a dough bowl.

I popped it on the shelf in my kitchen and every day since then, I've noticed tiny piles of very fine dust underneath it / surrounding it. Not many piles - maybe 4 or 5 and they're super small.

I say 'dust,' but it's like a fine sand.

When I pick up the candle and rub it etc, nothing comes away. It's not dusty at all. But I know that, coke the morning, I'll see these teeny dust piles again.

I attached some pics. Any ideas? If it's woodworm (ewww!) I'll bin it but I can't see any holes or anything - although it's a very rustic wooden container!

Thanks in advance and sorry photos aren't great but best I can do

Pic 1 - candle as is

Pic 2 - the dust pile

Pic 3 - the dust pile when I smudge it with my finger

If you even suspect woodworm then it's probably best to get it out of your house

Are these not holes?

@DameKatyDenisesClagnuts it just suddenly occurred to me as I'm struggling to try and work out what these teeny piles are and why they appear around the bowl

God I've got to bin it haven't I

Yes I think that looks like some sort of wood worm....which is actually a beetle rather than worm I think. Get rid of it.

@RallyRallyAppreciateIt Christ. Yes. (I'm upstairs in bed but now feeling I need to get out of bed and do something with it )

I did say no holes but it's such a 'rustic' piece I sort of missed them!

Do I need to go and move it outside the house like now?!

Would wrapping it in cling film and freezing it for a month work? I’m not advising that, just throwing the suggestion out there.

Yes, go downstairs and sling it out the back door or something.
How long have you had it?

That's infested, double bag it, don't put it out as it is as the beetles might be invasive. Report to forestry commission with pics

[email protected]

@RallyRallyAppreciateIt have had it for a week. It was a gift but it wasn't particularly cheap I don't think - about £30 odd. I believe an import from America possibly

These are holes too, aren't they? And look like where the dust piles are, roughly?

I'd put it outside for now, yes. You could treat it for woodworm but I don't know if that would make it more flammable.

Freezing could be a good shout, a quick Google showed this: Collections Guide: Pest Control – Treating Woodworm https://southwestmuseums.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Collections-Woodworm-treatment.pdf

This is it ...

Ok I'm getting back up and I'll put it in a couple of plastic bags for now and put in the back garden

Oh, just seen it's imported. Yeah, I wouldn't want to assume it's just woodworm in that case. Agree to bag it up and ring the environment agency or someone for advice on disposing of it in case it's a non native species of pest.

I Only 'think' it is from the states .. dough bowl candles are a 'thing' over there and I'm sure this online shop imports bits and pieces

I've just googled woodworm dust piles and yep - identical images, some of them

Ewwwww

Glad I posted now

No, you're right OP. Their website says These candles are highly fragranced and have come all the way from the US

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut good spot! (I wouldn't usually go googling a gift!)

So that's lovely. It's a woodworm all the way from America!

It's now in a bag in the back garden and I think I'll just get rid of it as opposed to freezing or trying to treat it. I'd never properly enjoy it.

I have however, just dropped an email to the company to tell them as it's probably not best practice to sell infested items!

Please use this channel to report, it is the correct one for wooden objects

@wheresmyshoe thanks for that. Why does it need reporting? (Genuinely interested as not heard of this before!)

Agreed, definitely keep it sealed up and report. Just in case it's bloody termites or some other alarming bug like that. Wouldn't want them getting into a landfill site 😬

I think imported wood stuff is supposed to be inspected, isn't it? For just this reason? Maybe small items don't count, I don't know.

Of course, it's possible it's native woodworm picked up in whatever storage the company uses in the UK. I guess that would be the 'best' scenario!

It could be a serious invasive pest that has arrived from the USA in this untreated wood product. If yours is infested then there are likely to be many others. If you send your pics and do say it's a USA import. Don't bin it as the team may want to collect it to investigate.

What a shame, it’s a pretty candle

Just because it says its from the USA, is no guarantee the dough part or the entire thing wasn't made in yet another country! It is honestly made of flour and water type dough??? It might be weevils or any number of food parasites! 😝
I'd take pics, try to get a refund and burn it ASAP!

If it dough, it might make a nice loaf! 😂

You could treat it and then bag it and see what comes out. You could try tea tree oil down the holes.

@SM4713 it's called a dough bowl - it's not made of dough! It's wooden.

I've had a response back from the company, emailed them last night and explained the situation. She's asked me to return it as she herself needs to return it to her supplier in order to rectify the situation

I'm not entirely sure it's a great idea to send something riddled with a pest through the post ? I'll wrap it well but still.:.