Insect Attack
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There are several insects which survive by feeding on the starch contained in wood cells. The most common of these is the common furniture beetle (Anobium Punctatum), otherwise generally known as Woodworm. The Woodworm beetle grows to a size of 2.5 - 5mm long and is usually a brown in colour with a fine yellowish covering. The life cycle of the Woodworm starts as a
batch of approximately 20 - 60 eggs laid in small groups within
cracks, crevices, joints and unprotected wood areas. The eggs
can be seen by the naked eye as an oval pearl shape and after
about five weeks they begin to hatch, with the larvae emerging
from the base of the egg and immediately commencing to tunnel
their way into The woodworm larvae (greyish-white in colour) spends its entire life (approximately 2 - 5 years) eating up and down the grain of the wood, in colder weather the rate of tunnelling may be considerably slower than in warmer weather. Around spring time when the larvae is due to mature it will start to bore towards the outside of the wood, stopping just short of the surface, where it will build a pupa chamber and change into a chrysalis.
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Materials Wood Common Insects
the
wood.
After
about 6 - 8 weeks the chrysalis opens to allow the adult Woodworm
beetle to emerge. After a period of resting to allow the hardening
of the shell, wings and etc. the beetle (brown in colour) will
bite its way out into the open air, leaving behind an approximate
1.5mm diameter flight hole. The adult fly can start mating within
hours of emerging and has a life span of 2 -3 weeks. The female
fly will lay her eggs and again the life cycle has started and
will continue.
