Commonly referred to as woodworm, the most common wood destroying beetle is the Common Furniture Beetle (Latin name: Anobium punctatum).

The adult beetles emerge from timber in the spring and summer and will lay eggs in cracks and crevices in the timber. After the eggs hatch the beetle begins burrowing into the timber where they remain for up to four years, eating and burrowing beneath the surface of the wood.

After a period of growth, the adult beetle emerges through a hole it cuts in the surface of the timber.

These new holes and the dust (frass) that falls from them often indicates the presence of an active infestation of woodworm.

The woodworm beetle can infest a wide variety of timber products including structural building timbers, furniture and wooden ornaments. If left untreated, infestations can lead to severe structural weakening and eventually total collapse.