Woodworm treatment / prevention

[plewlandsbob]

I went into drawer, of my toolbox, for a plastic faced, hammer. I discovered, that there is woodworm, in the handle. Cannot, remember, where or when, I got this hammer, but it was second hand.

It is a metal toolbox, so not worried about it, but stored in the same drawer, are these claw hammers and screwdriver, belonging to my late father. They are 50 plus years old. I.can remember playing with hammers , when I was a kid.

What is best way to protect them, without destroying the patina?

 

[6ply]

My understanding is the holes indicate the woodworm has finished with that handle. It was probably stored somewhere damp in the past, but assuming the handle and other tools are dry the problem is very unlikely to spread. There are some nasty insecticides you could apply to the tools, but I really wouldn't bother. Keeping everything dry is the best prevention.

 

[MattF]

Woodworm are temporary. Was there any wood dust from the holes, when in the box? That could be old worm holes.

Is there any sign of the others having holes?

 

[Mark 5]

I went into drawer, of my toolbox, for a plastic faced, hammer. I discovered, that there is woodworm, in the handle. Cannot, remember, where or when, I got this hammer, but it was second hand.

It is a metal toolbox, so not worried about it, but stored in the same drawer, are these claw hammers and screwdriver, belonging to my late father. They are 50 plus years old. I.can remember playing with hammers , when I was a kid.

What is best way to protect them, without destroying the patina?

Hi,

There are several methods, a better way is first detect if there is still any live infestation.

Agreeing with @6ply it's unlikely in your case, however to be sure, first knock the wood see if any debris falls out but it is not a clear indication, next plug the holes by laying with a cloth bees wax or any tinned polish that lays thick, lay it on, don't wipe off and leave for a couple of weeks +, any new holes then the wood is still live with the critters, this method is for any wood/furniture/wood handles--anything wood.

Should live still be the case your options are limited in as much any treatment you use may darken the wood/patina.

EverBuild do a triple action treatment which I have used on timber/joists/floorboards, it does darken but not by much imo. I purchase it 10L at a time, you can buy from the likes of Amazon and a couple of other online sellers in 1L tins, ( note, the tins aren't great quality, decant into a plastic container if you intend to store and mark container up well ), you can paint or spray on.

Cuprinol 5 Star Wood treatment is another and very effective.

For your project one dose would be enough.

Lastly and I'm sure you have thought of this, never use again the tools for what they were intended for, not with those handles, wood eaten is wood gone, the last thing you want is a hammer head coming at you at a billion miles an hour due to a chewed handle, the methods above are for preservation.

 

[frank horton]

my lathe has a biggish suds tank....deep enough to soak a hammer...
when I buy a used hammer this their home for a week....
actually to me anyway after a wipe down the shaft has a nice feel to it....

 

[winchman]

From what I have learn from Winchboys large collection of wood worm and other wood boring crawlies the key is dry wood, if its bone dry the things won't touch it.
Chemicals will not penetrate deep enough in to the wood to do any good.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DMLHpGNXOpms&ved=2ahUKEwjg5uKdroiJAxWTUkEAHZanASsQz40FegQIBBAo&usg=AOvVaw0ghWGil-4WQq71BmV2pYiH

 

[Mark 5]

From what I have learn from Winchboys large collection of wood worm and other wood boring crawlies the key is dry wood, if its bone dry the things won't touch it.
Chemicals will not penetrate deep enough in to the wood to do any good.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DMLHpGNXOpms&ved=2ahUKEwjg5uKdroiJAxWTUkEAHZanASsQz40FegQIBBAo&usg=AOvVaw0ghWGil-4WQq71BmV2pYiH

The stuff will penetrate if there are holes?

 

[plewlandsbob]

Woodworm are temporary. Was there any wood dust from the holes, when in the box? That could be old worm holes.

Is there any sign of the others having holes?

Yes there was dust in some of the holes.

 

[winchman]

The stuff will penetrate if there are holes?

The stuff I have read is it won't penetrate enough to kill the worms. Why cover something in a toxic chemical when drying it will do the
same?

 

[Martin Hocking]

As I understand it woodworm treatment is the same as any treatment for insects is pyrethrin which comes from chrysanthemum flowers.

I don’t know how toxic it is but given that you can buy it in all sorts of shapes and sizes it can’t be that bad.

If the op is worried about the patina and not so worried about the tool box. Maybe leaving it in a box full of ant powder or put a load of ant powder in the toolbox. The handles not very big or complicated in shape so I don’t think absorption is as essential as it might otherwise be.

 

[bricol]

As far as I was aware, the treatment kills the worm as it eats it's way to the surface, this stopping the next stage of the fly and more larvae.

I've used the everbuild stuff, bought in 25l containers and the cuprinol stuff. Seem to have stopped any more damage.

Recently treated my dad's dad's pitchfork, hay fork and a few other tools - left by my mum in a damp garage. Lasted 100 yrs with no damage until the last ten. It has darkened the wood, but hopefully prevents more damage.

 

[Mark 5]

As far as I was aware, the treatment kills the worm as it eats it's way to the surface, this stopping the next stage of the fly and more larvae.

I've used the everbuild stuff, bought in 25l containers and the cuprinol stuff. Seem to have stopped any more damage.

Recently treated my dad's dad's pitchfork, hay fork and a few other tools - left by my mum in a damp garage. Lasted 100 yrs with no damage until the last ten. It has darkened the wood, but hopefully prevents more damage.

That's my understanding.

Didn't know 25L of Everbuild was available, where do you purchase it from?

 

[Keith 66]

I have read that bunging a wooden item in the freezer for a few weeks kills any woodworm. Old way was to inject woodworm fluid into the holes then plug then up with beeswax once it had dried.
Some timbers are really susceptible to it, Maple, Elm, Beech, Pine & particularly sapwood of many timbers.

 

[Morrisman]

I’ve used Solignum to kill and deter woodworm. It comes in clear, or dark brown and works very well. I’ve only ever used it in the Philippines, but it appears to be made in the U.K. too.

Home - Solignum

Home-Solignum

www.solignum.co.uk

For things like tool handles I’d dunk them in a tin of it and let them soak a bit.

 

[dave h 2]

I have read that bunging a wooden item in the freezer for a few weeks kills any woodworm. Old way was to inject woodworm fluid into the holes then plug then up with beeswax once it had dried.
Some timbers are really susceptible to it, Maple, Elm, Beech, Pine & particularly sapwood of many timbers.

Minus 20 for a couple of weeks is also used for killing unwanted bugs in museum exhibits.
Woodworm seem to love plywood.

 

[brightspark]

dip em in paraffin that kills them

 

[plewlandsbob]

I think putting them , in a bag, then in freezer, will be first thing to do.
They are kept in a metal toolbox drawer, so it will be fine. More concerned that they may have spread to garage rafters or workbench.

I cannot remember, where I picked up the plastic hammer. It will have been infected, before I got it. I certainly never bought it new.

 

[Islander71]

Woodworm have a life cycle. When they are tunnelling through wood they are a white maggot. In the spring or early summer some of them mature into small blunt ended beetles and bore out of the wood - these are the exit holes you see - then fly till they meet and mate, then bore a very tiny hard to see hole into which their multiple . eggs are laid. The beetles then die. Then the cycle repeats at an alarming rate.
So a wormy piece of wood is likely only to be a danger to infest other wood in spring / early summer. You can buy micro-emulsions containing pyrethrum in litre plastic containers that mixes with water to make 25 ltrs. Small items can be dunked in the solution, larger ones sprayed with it. Pyrethrum doesn't seem to be very toxic to humans - it is used in skin ointments for killing parasites. I have sometimes mixed some of the concentrate into water based varnish for a belt and braces approach.
I seem to recall firms like Rentokill enclose large pieces of furniture in sealed bags then fill with CO2 and leave for a long period. Freezing is supposed to work too.
If you have a lot of wood, a small infestation can soon turn into a very costly and major problem. I have seen them in bone dry wood, so dont believe that myth. They do prefer some species of wood more than others. Alder was often laid out as a sacrificial piece in wood stores to lure them into laying their eggs in, then burnt. They also seem to be fond of beech and lime and any sapwood, or wood that is starting to go soft.

 

[plewlandsbob]

Here are some pics , I have just taken. There is fresh dust in drawer. Snapped original handle very easily. Here is a close up of the handle.
Am going to try putting them in freezer, for a couple of weeks.
Then will treat them with some chemicals. Have decided, I would rather lose patina, than the whole hammer handle.

 

[Morrisman]

I remember buying a couple of lacquered paintings in Vietnam many years ago. Hung them on the wall in the MiLs house in the Philippines. A year or so later we moved out and I went to pack up the lacquers. They were now hollow, all wood had gone and only the thick surface coating was holding the frame and picture in shape. They just crumpled as I tried to move them.

The MiL said ‘oh, I wondered why there was white dust on the floor under them every morning’.

They were similar to these plates, beautifully made, but highly edible…..