Woodworm.

[MALC SCOTT]

Hi, i have just rebuilt a nice old Ekco A144, but i have now noticed that it has active woodworm in the cabinet. What is the best action to take? Cheers, Malc.

[plumbweiss]

I've always used Cuprinol tinned woodworm killer, get a cheap disposeable syringe and follow the instructions, the syringe really does the job and has it squirting out of adjoining holes all over the place! Don't be tempted to use plain parraffin (as an old sea dog once suggested to me)..it's often used as a base for woodworm killer but the active ingredient is still good old fashioned insecticide like Permethrin or similar.

Some insecticides come in aerosol form with built in pointy nozzle, I've had these and the nozzle wears blunt quickly and renders the aerosol useless.

[chipp1968]

as said flood holes etc , but if there arnt many which is often the case , best to flood the inside of the cabinet and bottom , any bare untreated wood with the fluid and a brush . some people even put it in a sealed plasic binbag for a few weeks afterwards , but ive not gone that far yet.

[paulsherwin]

Yes, a good dose of Cuprinol should sort it out. Make sure you flood the joints as that is where the eggs are often laid. I've never had woodworm return to a radio that has been well treated with woodworm killer.

If you have a big freezer or access to one (e.g. a friendly local shop) a few days inside will get rid of any living insects, but the eggs can survive this so you still need the woodworm killer.

Paul

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

If you have a big freezer or access to one (e.g. a friendly local shop) a few days inside will get rid of any living insects, but the eggs can survive this so you still need the woodworm killer.

There is/was a thread here re. this method.

It seems quite technique-sensitive and I am yet to be totally convinced re. its efficacy

Nick.

[John M0GLN]

If you are worried about re- infestation or to help prevent an initial attack, there are polishes available, I use 'Rentokil Classic Wax Polish' which contains an insecticide to protect from woodworm..

John

[Mike Phelan]

I use Rentokil in all the holes and then a few weeks in a bin bag after spraying the entire surface with Rentokil.
Gerry Wells says he blows the critters out of the holes with an airline! Not tried that one yet.
I think that using the freezer method you have to repeat it a couple of times - the timing is critical as you only want the eggs to hatch without producing any more eggs.

[chipp1968]

Having many items in this house soeme 300 years old with woodworm I have only once noticed that they hadnt gone away . in the 80s I had a very early Hmv radio gram cabinet , came out of a barn ,with verylarge woodworm holes . I treated it , VeryBIG beetles scurried out and amazingly very large grubs squirmed out the holes !! i gave it to a friensd who had it a few years i had it back and it stayed in my parents house, eventually i brought it here mid 90s . had a bad space problem and nagging in the ear so i broke it up in a temper.. and burnt some of it in the fireplace .. very large beetles scurried out as it was burning !!

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by chipp1968

very large beetles scurried out as it was burning !!

All kinds of things seem to eat woodwork, especially if it's damp or a bit rotten.

The kitchen cupboards in my house (which dated from 1950) had been ravaged by something that left holes about 4mm in diameter. And here's a picture of a windowsill that I replaced last year, showing similar damage (woodlice?)

[Paul_RK]

Looks as though that windowsill was well saturated with dampness if not quite rotten, then something came along and made its home by removing the softer parts: perhaps woodlice indeed, as I can see one little chap there. They only live in continually moist surroundings, so shouldn't be any threat to our collections. Chipp's infestation sounds likely to have involved death watch beetles, which do leave flight holes of 4mm diameter or thereabouts.

Paul

[Zulu95]

You guys should see termite damage or the holes that wood boring bees (about 1" thick and 2.5" long when flying around) or carpenter ants leave.

[chipp1968]

Nick , they are probably just woodworm beetle again . there are diffrent types and some prefer only damp wood . I repair old windows alot and ive seen a georgean sash window with small holes in the dry upper box sections and large grubs in what was left of the oak sill ! which was also damp due to rain getting in regularily. obviously two types of boring be
etle .
Unfortunately radio cabinets wth the latter are probably beyond saving!

[Ray Cooper]

All you need is a tack-hammer. Rap on the side of the cabinet with the handle end, then when they poke their heads out to see who's making all the noise, let 'em have it with the business end...

Seriously, the Cuprinol treatment is the only one likely to work. But assess the damage very carefully beforehand: Cuprinol treatment is really designed for solid wood, ie. proper furniture, and structural beams. Radio cabinets are predominantly ply: and the little devils, once they get into a ply, can travel large distances and remove large amounts of wood, with only a few external flight-holes being visible. It would be a pity if, having treated it, you picked it up and the thing simply crumbled because there was little mechanical strength left in the remainder. Yes, I've seen cabinets that have done that.

I suppose that in this day and age, there might be a suitable free-flowing resin that could be injected into the holes, filling up the voids and restoring some of the mechanical strength. Ronseal do a resin that is used to harden-off timbers that have been affected by damp-rot, and very well it works - it is highly penetrative but not very viscous, so probably wouldn't fill all of the voids. Anybody know any other likely products?

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by Ray Cooper

I suppose that in this day and age, there might be a suitable free-flowing resin that could be injected into the holes, filling up the voids and restoring some of the mechanical strength. Ronseal do a resin that is used to harden-off timbers that have been affected by damp-rot, and very well it works - it is highly penetrative but not very viscous, so probably wouldn't fill all of the voids. Anybody know any other likely products?

Fibre glass resin also works reasonably well (that's basically what the Ronseal stuff is). However, I think that if the structural integrity of a cabinet has been lost there's a lot to be said for remanufacturing it rather than trying to save the old one. A piece of plywood which is so wormy that it will break will have lots of surface holes and it's practically impossible to fill these invisibly, even if the strength of the panel can be restored.

Paul

[chipp1968]

glad ur nose is flashing Ray, or i would have got confused there with Malc.

there is a wood hardener that is very liquid, ronseal etc thats made to go with the two part fillers for rotten wood . you have to keep applying it to build up its strength. it works ok . i used it on a 17th century bobin turned table streatcher where though the centre was strong, the outer part was very crumbly in areas and it made it much more stable, so that it could retain its decorative shape .
It may work on areas of ply where the worm has eaten inside making in a bit spongy , but not on large areas . As mentioned above if there are too many holes and the strength is gone then its not worth it better to replace . it can work ok on bottom panals where the unsitely mess is not visible

[MALC SCOTT]

Hi, many thanks to all of you for your advice. I have given the cabinet a good dose of cuprinol. I will leave it for 24 hours when i will give it a another dose. Before i started the treatment, i left the radio turned flat out for a couple of hours, tuned in to some German heavy rock station. Within half an hour the little black coloured worms were leaving the cabinet in vast numbers!! I an not sure if it was the heat or the noise which caused this. Many thanks again for your help, Cheers, Malc.

[ppppenguin]

Originally Posted by Ray Cooper

All you need is a tack-hammer. Rap on the side of the cabinet with the handle end, then when they poke their heads out to see who's making all the noise, let 'em have it with the business end...

Sounds like the Gerry Wells method

Originally Posted by Ray Cooper

It would be a pity if, having treated it, you picked it up and the thing simply crumbled because there was little mechanical strength left in the remainder.

Reminds me of Gerry Wells' expression: It's only the woodworm holding hands that's keeping it together.

Gerry also tells of a nice little gambling game you can play with a wormy cabinet. You squirt fluid into one hole and take bets on which hole(s) it will emerge from.

[liamoliver]

Does soaking the wood underwater work?

[Ian B]

I don't think trying to drown them in water is a good idea Liam, the effect of soaking the wood would be worse than what the worms did. Plywood delaminates when wet (unless it's marine grade), veneer lifts & bubbles, solid wood warps, and any finish, whether cellulose laquer or french polish would be ruined.
I believe most wood boring insects prefer damp wood (easier to chew?), so the best thing is to keep your treasures dry, not in a damp shed, garage or cellar.

Ian Blackbourn

[John1]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

... perhaps woodlice indeed, as I can see one little chap there ...

Yes, and i can see another, top left.

John