How To Spot Woodworm

A quick guide to spotting woodworm (the larvae of any wood-boring beetle) in floorboards.

Look out for:
Small 1-2 mm holes in the surface of the wood (some of these will have a small border of fine powder if the infestation is live).
Fine powder around the edges of the woodworm holes and under the effected wood.
Beatles coming out of the woodwork (yes that is where the old saying comes from) or hanging about near the effected timber.

Simple checks to see if the woodworm infestation in live:
Mark all the holes that you can see with a felt tip pen and then check back in 3 months to see if there have been any new holes formed.
Cover the surface of the wood with masking tape and then check back for flight holes as the pests eat through the tape to get free.

Now for the good news
Most of the woodworm signs that you will see in a modern dry home with under floor or central heating will probably be there from an old infestation as most woodworm cannot live in wood that has moisture content lower than 15% (You can purchase a moisture meter from online stores like Amazon for under £40).