There are many different species of Woodworm, however, here in the UK the four most commonly found Woodworm species are: Common Furniture Beetle, Deathwatch Beetle, House Longhorn Beetle and Wood Boring Weevil.

The first stages of any Woodworm Life Cycle are the eggs and Larvae, with the latter being the main cause of serious damage to timbers caused by woodworm infestation.

Woodworm Larvae

As Woodworm eggs hatch they reach the 'Larvae Stage'. This is the case for all Woodworm species.

Woodworm Larvae are quite difficult to spot to the naked eye, however, a typical Larvae is around 6mm - 7mm in length when fully grown, some species of larvae may even grow to around 11mm in length. They are normally creamy white in colour, curved-shaped, and soft and fleshy to touch. Larvae are usually covered with very short light coloured hairs.

The Larvae themselves are very rarely seen, mainly due to their tiny size and the fact they 'live' inside the timbers as they bore their way through.The exit holes and 'frass' will much more likely be spotted before the Larvae.As already mentioned, Woodworm Larvae (or Grubs) are the cause of structural damage to Timbers, as they use this as a feeding source.

Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium Punctatum)

Common Furniture Beetle, in its Adult stage, are around 2.5mm - 5mm in length and are usually a dull dark brown colour.

They have fine grooves running vertically along the wing-cases and antennae shorter than legs, with three flattened segments at the tip of the antennae.

The Common Furniture Beetles head is hidden by the upper part of the thorax (the mid-section).

Common Furniture Beetles are generally found in damp floorboards, damp loft timbers and old furniture where the polished finish has worn off.

Adult beetles have a short lifespan, around 2 - 4 weeks and don't feed on timbers. However, during their short lifespan, the male beetles' sole purpose is to mate with as many female partners as possible and continue the cycle.

Deathwatch Beetle (Xestobium Rufovillosum)

Adult Deathwatch Beetles are approximately 7mm long, while the larvae can be up to 11mm long. The Larvae itself has a distinctive thin dark pigmented area above the mouth. Legs covered in fine gold hairs are also present. This is one of the ways to identify the larvae as being Deathwatch Beetle, and not to be confused with Wood Boring Weevils.

Often found in historic buildings, Deathwatch Beetle attack hard woods such as Elm and Oak. Dampness is essential for establishment and promotes rapid development. The larva is very soft, yet can bore its way through wood, provided that the wood has experienced prior fungal decay. The texture of the borehole dust can be gritty, and appear like disc shaped pellets. Deathwatch Beetles are generally found in Central / Southern England.Typical signs of Deathwatch Beetle are a 'tapping' sound which can sometimes be heard on quiet summer nights. The tapping noises is the male and female beetles way of communicating with each other for mating purposes. A male beetle will tap and if a female beetle is 'interested' it will tap back.

House Longhorn Beetle (Hylotrupes Bajulus)

Adult House Longhorn Beetles can be anywhere between 8mm and 25mm in size and are usually brown or black in colour, however, they may appear slightly 'grey' due to a very fine furriness on the upper surfaces of the body. One major distinctive feature of the House Longhorn Beetle is its long antennae, Another commonly recognisable feature is the two black spots found on the thorax, which may be mistaken for its eyes.

The House Longhorn Beetle are likely to be found feeding on damp timbers, particularly (but not always) in basements. Most infestations can be seen on timbers such as fir, spruce, and pine, among other common types of softwoods. During the summer months, House Longhorn Beetles can fly freely, allowing them to spread from one area to another.

The House Longhorn Beetle can be found in many parts of the UK, however they are fare more prevalent in South East England, and in particular Surrey.

Wood Boring Weevil (Euophryum Confine)

An Adult Wood Boring Weevil is around 3mm - 5mm long and can be brown or black in colour. The most distinctive feature of an Adult Wood Boring Weevil is its long snout. The Larvae can be up to 4mm long, curved and pale cream in colour and has no legs. They can be found in infested wood all year long. The Wood Boring Weevil can be found throughout the UK, but are more commonly found in London and the surrounding areas.

The Wood Boring Weevil are known to attack damp and decaying softwoods and hardwoods, often when this infested with the fungus, although they will also continue to attack dried out timber previously attacked by rot. They can also attack plywood in these conditions.

Wood Boring Weevil have the ability to migrate in large numbers into rooms adjacent to any damage, particularly during summer months or if drying takes place.

Wood Boring Weevils are likely to be found in areas such as poorly ventilated ground floors, cellars, or wood in contact with damp solid floors or walls.

Typical signs of Wood Boring Weevil infestation are numerous 'Tunnels', normally found in the direction of the grain, often breaking through to wood surface. Emergence holes are small, ragged and about 1mm in diameter.