Woodworm in brand new furniture

[Jeremy Harris]

This morning I've just spotted some tell-tale piles of dust on the floor under our year-old new oak bed.  Closer examination has found half a dozen exit holes in one area, and no sign of anything anywhere else.

 

The bed is made of some species of oak, most probably from the far east, and the exit holes are through a lacquered surface.  I've had the mattress off and examined the frame closely with a bright light and as far as I can tell the infestation is restricted to one single area in one piece of wood.  That bit of wood seems to be lacquered all over, not just on the outer surfaces.

 

I've probed the inside of the bed frame in several places and it seems to be dry as a bone; I'm getting readings of around 5% to 6% everywhere, making sure the probes go through the lacquer and into the underlying wood.

 

I'm pretty much convinced that the infestation occurred in the timber before the bed frame was manufactured, as I can't see how the eggs could have hatched, and the larvae chewed into the wood after it had been lacquered.  As such, I don't think I really have cause for concern, as the house is dry (RH is currently 40%), the timber is dry (no higher than 6% MC) and my understanding is that in order for eggs to hatch and larvae develop they need to be laid in sapwood with a fairly high moisture content.

 

As a cosmetic measure, and as a precaution against the emerging beetles having laid their eggs in the exit holes, as I believe some species do, I've filled the holes with a paraffin-based brushing wax, pushed deep into the holes and buffed over.  I'm reluctant to try any other treatment as the furniture seems to have a good lacquer finish all over (I suspect it was sprayed all over after being built).

 

I don't think there's a significant risk, because of the low moisture content in the wood, the relatively low RH in the house and the lacquer finish, but does anyone else know any different?

[Ian]

33 minutes ago, JSHarris said:

 

I don't think there's a significant risk, because of the low moisture content in the wood, the relatively low RH in the house and the lacquer finish, but does anyone else know any different?

The risk is completely insignificant and nothing to worry about.

 

Extract from a BRE paper on the subject:

[Ian]

and an extract from another paper which talks about insects on imported timber:

 

[Ian]

[Jeremy Harris]

Very many thanks, @Ian.  That confirms my thought that the larvae were most probably in the bit of wood before the bed was made and have spent the last year or two maturing in there before making good their escape.

 

I was reasonably sure that there was no real risk, but as the whole house is made of timber there was a niggle in the back of my mind!

 

I think the chances that any of the half dozen beetles that escaped could have found anything to suitable to  lay eggs on will have been miniscule.  From your info, I think the most likely culprit may have been the "pinhole borer", as the holes are around the same size as those from the common furniture beetle, certainly no bigger than 2mm, and closer to 1mm, and I'm certain that the furniture was imported from the Far East.  It's some species of oak, but doesn't look at all like either European or American oak to me.  It didn't come from Oak Furniture Land (who I know import all their stuff from the Far East) but from a local supplier who seems to have access to the same manufacturers that Oak Furniture land use, but who has more honest and reasonable sales practices.

[Ian]

@JSHarris No problem.

 

Attached below is another extract; this time from a TRADA document confirming that the pinhole borer (Ambrosia Beetle) is not a risk to dry timber and there's no risk of spread or re-infestation

[Jeremy Harris]

Thanks, that's very reassuring indeed - I can stop crawling around in the eaves looking for signs of beetle holes...