Knowing what the different types of woodworm are may seem like something that is of more interest to industry insiders than to furniture owners who find themselves with infested furniture.
Knowing that there are species that undermine wood from the inside without leaving visible signs, however, should prompt furniture owners to implement periodic woodworm treatments to protect themselves from all possible consequences.
The 3 main species of woodworm
Anobium Punctatum
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It is undoubtedly the most widespread xylophagous insect, that is the common woodworm, about 3 mm long and dark brown in color.
Adults swarm in late spring or summer, on hot days you can see these woodworms in flight or climbing on walls, ceilings and windows.
Adult insects live two to three weeks, and this period is more than enough time for females to lay eggs over large areas.
The flickering holes, about 1.5 mm in diameter and perfectly circular, together with their mounds of fine sawdust, are unmistakable signs of their presence.
A presence that, as mentioned, can also extend to hardwood floors, skirting boards, joists and floorboards.
Lyctus Linearis
The adult insects of this species have the same color as common woodworms, are only a little thinner and about 6 mm long.
This species also leaves flight holes that are perfectly circular and about 1.5 mm in diameter.
The sawdust they produce, however, is finer, almost like flour.
Their life cycle is short: after staying in the wood for a year, they emerge from it from late spring to summer and fly only at dusk.
Because of their strong preference for freshly cut hardwoods such as ash, oak and elm, lyctus are a serious threat in sawmills and fresh wood yards, not disdaining to attack paneling, flooring and furniture made from unseasoned hardwoods.
Hylotrupes Bajulus
The adult insect, 12 to 25 mm long, is dark gray in color with lighter spots on the elytra.
It emerges from the wood in the summer months leaving an irregular oval hole up to 6 mm long.
The larval stage is particularly long: the Hylotrupes digs in the wood even for ten years before starting the metamorphosis in pupa.
This characteristic has, as a tremendous consequence, that we may realize the presence of this wood miner only after it has completed its work of destroying the wood from the inside.
At one time it was believed that it only attacked well seasoned softwoods, but recently it has been discovered that it does not disdain hardwoods either.
In short, although woodworms can differ between species, what they have in common is the damage they can cause to the wood in our homes.