How to get rid of curries and other wood pests

Insects can be a fearsome pest of wood, and even though we don't have termites in our area, which are considered the most aggressive pests of wood, there are other insects that, given the right conditions, will attack both the standing tree and the lumber or finished product. Of those that attack processed wood, woodworms are the best known, but there are others that are just as dangerous. They are dangerous not only because of the damage they do but also because of their resistance at every stage of development - egg, larva, nymph or adult insect. If the infested wood is not treated properly, we may be surprised that after a period of apparent peace, the insects reappear. It is therefore recommended to treat the wood before it is attacked, thus eliminating inconvenience and damage. Attacked wood needs aggressive methods and products to quickly halt growth and eliminate the possibility of re-appearance. One such product is Bochemit Plus I distributed by Deposib Expert.

A product that has proven its qualities for over 50 years in eradicating wood insects

Bochemit Plus I is one of the best-selling products for treating wood against woodworm and other insects. It has been available in Romania since 2006 and has gained the trust of those who treat old furniture or damaged floors, as well as companies and organisations that treat or restore wood. Medieval Church of Strei, built at the end of the 13th century and completed at the beginning of the 14th century, church in Breb, a historic monument dating from the 15th century or wooden church of Jupănești, built in the 18th century are examples of works where the product has been used successfully.

Bochemit is part of the Czech group Bochemie whose history goes back 115 years, specialising in chemicals for the production of disinfectants for hospitals, car batteries and textile protection. Bochemie has manufactured chloramine and saccharin since the Second World War.

The Bochemit Division was founded in 1968 and is dedicated to the treatment and protection of wood. In addition to insect repellents, the company produces other wood treatments which can be used to get rid of mould and fungi or to increase the wood's resistance to moisture, fire or UV radiation.

What you should know about using Bochemit Plus I

Like most aggressive wood treatment solutions, Bochemit Plus I is a concentrated podus. This allows both treatment against insects that have attacked the wood and prevention. As a result, to preventively treat the wood against the attack of woodworm or other insects, a dilution of 5% is made (19 parts of water or alcohol are added to 1 part of product), while to prepare a solution against woodworm, the concentration is 10%, if 2 coats are applied, or 20%, if a single coat is applied. The treatment can also be adapted according to the type of wood or its location (historic buildings, for example). If the wood is very old or if you want to avoid using water to avoid damaging the furniture, the dilution can be done with alcohol. After complete drying, the treated wood can be used without problems and is not dangerous to humans or animals.

Application can be by brush, spray pump, dip or injection. To get the desired results, you need to make sure that the substance is absorbed as deeply as possible. This means that surfaces need to be well sanded, and if the wood is old, sanding will help to clean the pores and open the grain. Pre-treated wood must be properly dried because increased humidity reduces the amount of substance absorbed and reduces the effect. If the old infested wood has high humidity, the solution used should be of the maximum concentration.

Bochemit offers an unlimited warranty for treated wood used indoors and at least 10 years for wood used outdoors. For wood used outdoors, however, it is recommended to check every 2 years. There are many variables that can cause wood to deteriorate to the point where it is easily attacked by decay and other insects. In order for the results to be as guaranteed by the company, the application must be done according to the instructions for use. Find the instructions described in full, here.

What insects can be removed from attacked wood

Woodworm (woodworm or wood decay, as they are also called) are the most aggressive insects against which Bochemit Plus I Eradication can be used successfully. However, it can also be used against the oak, beech, grey beetle, etc., the resinous wood wasp or other beetles of the subfamily Lyctinae. Let's see how some of these insects develop and attack wood.

Careas or lanes are insects of the order Coleoptera that live in wood. The most common one in our area is Anobium punctatum. It feeds on the sapwood part of wood, which makes it less dangerous to the structural strength of buildings. But wood with high moisture content, attacked by fungi and mould, is more vulnerable, and decay can also reach the heartwood. There are also species of decay that feed on hardwood, such as Xestobium rufovillosum.

The hornbeam only lives in wood that has been cut for at least 4-5 years. The female lays clusters of up to 50 eggs in crevices in the wood from which creamy-white larvae develop. For 4-5 years the larvae stay in the wood and feed on it, digging channels at random. At maturity, the larvae first pupate/nymph and after 6-7 weeks the adult emerges and digs round holes 1-1.5 mm in diameter in the wood and emerges to pupate and repeat the cycle. Bochemit Plus I successfully attacks the carrion beetle at all stages of its development. Read more about curries and the conditions under which they attack wood here.

Tailor beetles are also well known. There are species that attack trees, but there are also some that attack furniture and other wooden objects in the house. They thrive at high temperatures, so they can cause big problems if they get into softwoods in attics or lofts. The development cycle is the same as that of the woodworm - egg, larva, nymph, adult - and can last between 3 and 6 years, sometimes even 10 years. The larvae form galleries in the wood, oval in cross-section, interrupted from place to place by the resulting dust or small pieces of wood left over from the attack. The holes formed in the wood by the adult insect are 4-10 mm in diameter. There are more than 15 types of wood-boring beetles in Romania, many of which attack only one species of wood.

Wooden wasp looking for fresh, damp wood from resinous (pine, spruce, fir, larch). The adult insect is 3-4 cm long and is notable for its size, wasp-like colouring and the posterior extension of the abdomen like a spike. It lays its eggs in diseased or fallen spruce trunks. The larvae can stay in the wood for 2-5 years before they develop into adults, so it may be years before the insects emerge from the wood floors or veneers. By the time the wasp starts flying around the house the damage is already done and urgent action must be taken to limit it.

How to find out if wood is infested

Specific to the attack are the round or oval holes that appear in the wood. If there is a pile of wood dust next to them, there is definitely a live larva in full swing inside. Other signs can be the gnawing noise we hear when the house is completely quiet or areas where the wood appears to be softer.

It's best to call a specialist immediately when such signs appear, especially if you discover them in beams, columns or other structural elements. The specialist will tell you how much the wood is being damaged and whether it can still perform its structural function. Sometimes, if the phenomenon is discovered late, the wood is so damaged that the whole object or at least parts of it have to be replaced.

I hope you find this information useful and that you have already found the answers to your questions about solutions used against woodworm and other wood-destroying insects.