Penners
Member
- Messages
- 17,294
- Location
- Suffolk, England
Surely a skilled player will get the beastie squarely on one of the wires every time.
- Thread starter charlie-ia
- Start date
worms
Member
- Messages
- 1,992
- Location
- ultima Thule
Ahhh! I see....Borax Becker!Penners said:
Penners
Member
- Messages
- 17,294
- Location
- Suffolk, England
I was thinking more of Anobium Punctatum Agassi.
:roll:
:roll:
Feltwell
Member
- Messages
- 6,377
- Location
- Shropshire, England
Groan!
I'm guessing that what I was merrily killing earlier this year was furniture beetle, as the holes in the wood appear to be about the right size and it was noticeable that the amount of frass increased at the same time as these little blighters started flying around. I could be wrong though.
The "tennis racket" fly swat has bars about 1/8" apart, but the insect only has to be close for it to work - you get a sharp crack sound and see a spark fly as it zaps the little critters, it makes a hell of a sound considering it's only powered by a 9 volt battery! So much more satisfying than whacking them with a rolled up newspaper...... :twisted:
I'm guessing that what I was merrily killing earlier this year was furniture beetle, as the holes in the wood appear to be about the right size and it was noticeable that the amount of frass increased at the same time as these little blighters started flying around. I could be wrong though.
The "tennis racket" fly swat has bars about 1/8" apart, but the insect only has to be close for it to work - you get a sharp crack sound and see a spark fly as it zaps the little critters, it makes a hell of a sound considering it's only powered by a 9 volt battery! So much more satisfying than whacking them with a rolled up newspaper...... :twisted:
worms
Member
- Messages
- 1,992
- Location
- ultima Thule
Sounds like fun, and I don't doubt that you have woodworm. Its just that since the beetles are so small and are reputed not to travel very far from their source, I wouldn't have expected flying adults to be visible enough that you would feel the urge to swat them with anything! The spring conditions that give Anobium the urge to come out and fly are the same as will bring out many other more visible flying beasties. We have woodworm here but never been bothered by their low flying practice!
Although it is a worry having woodworm - to me it would be far more worrying to have a firm come in and spray dangerous chemicals over your property. I had this done many many years ago as I had to have it "treated" as a mortgage condition.
I developed M.E. and became chronically chemically sensitive (now ever to perfumes) I guess that was my body telling me something. Take care. Please.
I developed M.E. and became chronically chemically sensitive (now ever to perfumes) I guess that was my body telling me something. Take care. Please.
Feltwell
Member
- Messages
- 6,377
- Location
- Shropshire, England
Thank you for the warning.
I confess to not having done anything about it so far - it's "slipped down the list". My 5 year plan for the house is perfectly on track so far. Perfectly on track to take at least 20 years, that is. :wink:
In the meantime, I shall practice my tennis skills if (whatever they are) start buzzing around again this year!
I confess to not having done anything about it so far - it's "slipped down the list". My 5 year plan for the house is perfectly on track so far. Perfectly on track to take at least 20 years, that is. :wink:
In the meantime, I shall practice my tennis skills if (whatever they are) start buzzing around again this year!
When we bought our cottage it had been standing unoccupied for some time and had extensive damp and woodworm. Took some inital steps to start to get rid of the damp (removal of leaking immersion heater, change to ground level at rear of cottage). We then got rid of the floorboards which were totally falling apart, and then paid a company to come in and spray all woodwork with borax solution. Had to phone round a bit to find a reputable company that would do this (and they only charged slightly more for using borax rather than the standard stuff). Was tempted to try it ourselves but the advantage of paying a company is that we got an insurance backed guarantee which would be useful if we ever needed to sell the house. Then took steps to warm the house up - (i) installed very basic central heating (simple straight pipe runs, very bog standard combi boiler), (ii) put a 40cm thick layer of thermafleece in the loft (as well as keeping the house warm apparently sheeps wool insulation 'warms up' when it absorbs moisture which reduces condensation or something). We are also quite careful about ventilation - when the house was drying out we left the windows open as much as possible on warmer days, and used the woodburning stove alot. Still have some work to do in terms of damp, will hopefully get there eventually. In terms of woodworm no signs of trouble yet.......
There is clearly some debate over borax versus permethrin. For what it is worth wikipedia says:
"Permethrin is extremely toxic to fish. Extreme care must be taken when using products containing permethrin near water sources. Permethrin is also highly toxic to cats.... Permethrin is classified by the US EPA a likely human carcinogen, based on reproducible studies in which mice fed permethrin developed liver and lung tumors."
There is clearly some debate over borax versus permethrin. For what it is worth wikipedia says:
"Permethrin is extremely toxic to fish. Extreme care must be taken when using products containing permethrin near water sources. Permethrin is also highly toxic to cats.... Permethrin is classified by the US EPA a likely human carcinogen, based on reproducible studies in which mice fed permethrin developed liver and lung tumors."
Matt Green
Member
- Messages
- 671
Yet permethrin does, in fact, actually kill furniture beetle. Rather than borates that are great fungicides and give you a warm fuzzy-eco feeling about furniture beetle eradication without actually ending their chittering little lives.
Permerthin if used when it's really necessary and when the timbers have been cleaned and it's applied witha brush to the locations most at risk will use very little and achieve what you want it to do. Blanket spaying the stuff is not usually the best plan you could ever have and is really only a last resort when the temperature is too low, RH too high, timber too poor, building too listed and owners too broke.
If you look at two or three historic buildings a week on average: that happens about twice in 5 years, from experience.
M.
Permerthin if used when it's really necessary and when the timbers have been cleaned and it's applied witha brush to the locations most at risk will use very little and achieve what you want it to do. Blanket spaying the stuff is not usually the best plan you could ever have and is really only a last resort when the temperature is too low, RH too high, timber too poor, building too listed and owners too broke.
If you look at two or three historic buildings a week on average: that happens about twice in 5 years, from experience.
M.
Schoolmarm
Member
- Messages
- 1,894
- Location
- edgworth, lancs
Matt Green said:
:lol:
Cloudscape
Member
- Messages
- 473
- Location
- Mid-Wales
I've got to treat some timber at some point. I think the infestation is slowly ongoing. I find I am getting confused between borax, boron and boric acid. Wikipedia confused me further by saying that they are all used as insecticides. I've read all the above, and I understand that permethrin kills woodworm. But it's surprising how many products, companies and websites claim that bor** (whichever) is an effective insecticide. I even found a website saying that bor** is better than permethrin - at least in terms of toxicity to humans and odour, and just as effective at eradicating woodworm. I don't doubt what's said above. Is it a case that bor**-treated wood is unpalatable to woodworm, so, if they manage to emerge, they are unlikely to re-infest the same timber. Or is bor** just completely useless for woodworm? Would there be a case for using a mix of bor** for its fungicidal properties, and permethrin for its insecticidal properties. (Or should I just drop a nuke on the lot and have done with it? :lol: )
biffvernon
Member
- Messages
- 4,607
- Location
- Lincolnshire
That'll be because borax is a much cheaper material than permethrin? :?Wren said:
[/quote]That'll be because borax is a much cheaper material than permethrin? :?[/quote]
No, they charged slightly more because it is not what they normally offer. No real justification, although you might argue that if Borax is less effective their risk in offering a guarantee is higher and that is reflected in the price. At the end of the day they charged a reasonable price for the effort put in and we got what we wanted.
If woodworm returns then may have to resort to patch treatment with permethrin, as other posters have suggested. But in the first instance I didn't leap at the chance to introduce a known carcinogen into my home (perspective on these things sometimes changes when you have lost a close relative before their time due to cancer).
No, they charged slightly more because it is not what they normally offer. No real justification, although you might argue that if Borax is less effective their risk in offering a guarantee is higher and that is reflected in the price. At the end of the day they charged a reasonable price for the effort put in and we got what we wanted.
If woodworm returns then may have to resort to patch treatment with permethrin, as other posters have suggested. But in the first instance I didn't leap at the chance to introduce a known carcinogen into my home (perspective on these things sometimes changes when you have lost a close relative before their time due to cancer).