Spring marks the return of outdoor yard sales and flea markets. They’re excellent places to pick up castaway furniture for a song. Unfortunately bringing home that great dresser, table or chair may have some very unpleasant consequences. And we’re not talking about splinters and cracked spindles. Each piece could actually harbor household pests that no one wants to welcome home, woodworms.
What are woodworms and why should thrifty shoppers beware? They’re two questions we plan on answering today. The worms are actually part of a wood-boring beetle’s instar. So the more scientific name for the destructive pests is larvae. Depending on the species of wood-boring beetle, the larvae may vary in size, shape and color. However, most of them are small, narrow and a shade of brown. As such, the worms often blend in fairly well with their chosen abodes.
Their size, shape and color are not the only advantages woodworms have in their fight for survival. There is also the beetle’s protracted life. How protracted? In many cases it may be half a decade before beetle eggs reach the adult instar. Consequently, all of those flea market finds may seem fine at first. Then like a time bomb, the miniscule eggs tucked away inside of the wood will hatch.
Enter the woodworms, which will also remain hidden while they silently destroy their respective birthplaces. The destruction is caused by their bore holes, which weakens the furniture’s overall structure. And when they have no more use for their original homes, the adults have no qualms about moving on to destroy other wooden structures. So, they may end up inside of an infected building’s support beams, floors, cabinetry and more.
As such, woodworms must be stopped before their destructive cycle is complete. To learn more about the steps required to achieve their eradication, please contact us at Consolidated Pest Control.
