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Original poster

Woodworm in new furniture.

15 replies

Iwonderif · 26/02/2016 12:09

Oak TV cabinet purchased 2 weeks before Christmas. It's new not secondhand. I'm horrified. want to go out to DIY place ASAP to treat it. What's the best product? Wasn't there 48 hours ago as hoovered living room.

Could the larvae have been in the furniture when we purchased it and has now become the beetle? Would you contact the store to make them aware?

Making me feel odd.....hate knowing it/they are happily boring holes in my lovely oak cabinet....will they get to my lovely oak skirting boards too????? Help...

OP posts:
Original poster
Iwonderif · 26/02/2016 12:10

Woodworm photo

Woodworm in new furniture.
OP posts:
momb · 26/02/2016 12:12

The holes are made by the beetle as it emerges so yes, there is a good chance that they are currently working their way through any timber they have come into contact with (prefer softwood to hardwood).
Yes to contacting store. Yes to treating everywhere asap.

Original poster
Iwonderif · 26/02/2016 12:33

Is there a possibility it was in the wood already but hadn't hatched? Not sure of the cycle. Many thanks for replying.

OP posts:
wowfudge · 26/02/2016 12:47

I bet they've developed within the wood in your nice warm house. Send photos to the retailer and get it out of the house. Woodworm often goes hand-in-hand with damp timber so it might be do with where the wood was grown or stored at some point in its manufacture or shipping.

Original poster
Iwonderif · 26/02/2016 13:05

Just contacted store and sent the photos. Annoyingly I cannot find the receipt. I too am thinking it was nesting in the furniture all this time. It's made me feel pretty grim. Like I need to spring clean the whole house....almost like I'm living in a grubby home. Blush

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 26/02/2016 13:47

interesting, can you do a close-up of the holes with a coin or something to show scale?

Lots of furniture is imported from the Far East where timber and labour is cheaper, and may have eggs of unfamiliar species in it. It is said that UK houses with central heating are too dry for woodworm to thrive, though sometimes still found in untreated lofts.

Is it on a wooden floor on joists (not concrete)?

Hennifer · 26/02/2016 13:56

So these holes have appeared within 2 days and you think they are caused by woodworm.

Do your children have access to sharp things?

By the way it is a really stupid idea to immediately treat all your furniture. The woodworm killing stuff is highly toxic, and unless you can actually see beetles emerging from these holes made by drawing pins then you do not have a woodworm problem.

Hennifer · 26/02/2016 13:58

I don't mean to sound unkind btw but some of the posts answering you appear to be from people with no knowledge of woodworm. It's a bit frustrating!

Original poster
Iwonderif · 26/02/2016 14:10

It's definitely woodworm.

As far as I'm aware the furniture is made by the people who own the small store however no idea where they source their timber from.

Until my husband is home and we can lift the carpets I have absolutely no idea if it's in the joists/floorboards. Trying not to think of that. Thanks for all replies.

OP posts:
Hennifer · 26/02/2016 14:15

It wasn't there 48 hours ago, and now it is.

That means it's categorically not woodworm.

You would have small black beetles all over your windows if it was, in that quantity.

It's ridiculous to think it has spread already to your floorboards - or from your floorboards.

Woodworm take YEARS to tunnel their way out of a piece of wood. Not hours or days. Years.

I suggest you at least read up about their life cycle before you start ripping up your carpets.

dotty2 · 26/02/2016 14:25

Hennifer is right, though the length of the life cycle depends on wood type and conditions (temp etc). To tell if it woodworm is recent or old on an antique piece of furniture, you look closely at the exit holes. Recent holes will have small amounts of saw dust round the edge and be slightly raised. I've never seen them in modern furniture, but presumably you'd still see the sawdust etc.

Original poster
Iwonderif · 26/02/2016 14:34

Thanks Hennifer. Carpets are staying firmly down! Yes I have read about the cycle.

Store are having cabinet back. They have confirmed woodworm. They do feel it was in the furniture when we purchased it. They have contacted their manufacturer. It wasn't a piece made by them but was from elsewhere. I supplied to them many many photos. Not just the one on here.

Thanks again to everyone who took time to reply. Appreciated.

OP posts:
Original poster
Iwonderif · 26/02/2016 14:37

Lots of sawdust deposit dotty2.

OP posts:
Hennifer · 26/02/2016 14:42

I can only surmise that you just didn't notice it two days ago. it cannot have appeared all at once like that.

Glad you are able to return it. Please don't worry about your home.

dotty2 · 26/02/2016 16:36

That's very unlucky, then - but glad you are able to return it

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