Woodworm in garage beams

[James South]

Hi,

I've a garage that's in a block separate to the house. It's a flat roof and I've noticed woodworm in one of the beams. Upon looking, it appears to be in at least one other beam (2 affected, 2 not affected) and has likely been there a while (some of the beams look reinforced with other bits of wood). We only bought the house 4 years ago. The garage roof was replaced 3 years ago and no mention of woodworm then by the people changing the roof and they were walking on those seemingly reinforced beams happily. We did note some dust last summer but just presumed it was from the roof change but this year I've noticed the small holes in the wood.

Question is - I'm using the handheld bottle of SoluGuard and given the affected area a good soak, and it's making a difference but I'm still seeing little piles of frass. As I understand it, SoluGuard creates a layer on the outer beam and doesn't really penetrate the wood so would I be right in thinking that once treated, new frass could be the worms coming out and hopefully dying once they get to that wood?

I believe they become less active in September so I'm thinking on buying the bigger 5L bottle and clearing the garage in winter and giving all the beams a good covering. There isn't any sagging or obvious signs of damage apart from the frass so I'm thinking as it's a flat roof it's not going to have much load bearing on it.

The OSB boards look fine and no sign of damp or damage. I've read that wood worm don't like that kind of wood. That said, I’ve also read that woodworm isn’t as bad as some make it out to be.

 

[andycollins]

It's great that you've started treating the woodworm issue with SoluGuard. Seeing new frass after treatment could indicate it's working, but it may take time. Treating in the winter when they're less active is a good plan. Since your garage structure seems stable, you're likely catching the infestation early. Keep monitoring, and if you're unsure about progress, consider consulting a pest control expert. Woodworm infestations can vary in severity, so early intervention is essential.

 

[James South]

Thanks. I've got some sheets and cardboard under where I think it's happening and will keep an eye and probably give them a good covering in the winter months ahead of next Spring when I think they become more active again.

 

[^woody^]

The way woodworm treatment works is by killing the larvae as it is they that cause the damage. If the larvae have already pupated, the adults won't be killed and will bore their way out and create the sawdust you see. They won't return to treated timber.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

There's a damp issue. Woodworm can't live without water, their presence is a sign that there's a problem.

A single skin wall is never going to be as good as a cavity, but you should still be able to make it reasonably dry. Do you have gutters and drainage, where the water taken away from the building?

 

[James South]

There's a damp issue. Woodworm can't live without water, their presence is a sign that there's a problem.

A single skin wall is never going to be as good as a cavity, but you should still be able to make it reasonably dry. Do you have gutters and drainage, where the water taken away from the building?

I'm presuming it's single skined, built in the 70s I think. The gutter does drip a little on the outside which I should be able to fix, just where two parts join together. Inside the roof looks fine and only replaced 3 years ago. There was a leak, hence the roof change, so perhaps they got in then and moved from one beam to the other?

 

[James South]

The way woodworm treatment works is by killing the larvae as it is they that cause the damage. If the larvae have already pupated, the adults won't be killed and will bore their way out and create the sawdust you see. They won't return to treated timber.

That's interesting, thank you. So probably what I'm seeing in the parts treated is them leaving hence the new frass. Hopefully they are leaving the garage and I'll treat all the 4 beams over winter.