Wood Borer Treatment Glencairn

Glencairn is a quiet strip of False Bay coast where the Simon's Town train runs right past the beach and the houses step up the slopes toward the mountain. Behind the sand sits a reedy wetland, and that one feature explains a good share of the calls we get from here.

The local picture in Glencairn

Older cottages near the beach have timber floors and roof beams that suffer in the damp, salty air, which suits borer. Beetle certificate inspections are routine when holiday homes change hands.

Homes on the heights are mostly freestanding family houses with big windows and decks, some built into the slope with retaining walls and dark storerooms underneath. Down near the water there are older holiday cottages, some with timber floors and roofs that take a beating from salt air. Holiday lets stand empty for weeks and then fill up, which gives rodents time to settle in unnoticed.

Tell-tale signs

1. Timber that breaks easily and shows a network of tunnels inside.
2. A beetle inspection for a property transfer has flagged activity.
3. Small round or oval exit holes in timber, furniture or floorboards.
4. Faint scratching or ticking sounds from roof timbers on quiet nights.
5. Adult beetles found on windowsills or near lights in late spring and summer.
6. Fine powder, called frass, building up under wooden items or on the floor below roof timbers.

Worth knowing

The European house borer is notifiable in the Western Cape. If we find it, it gets reported and treated properly, which is better for you in the long run.

Old exit holes do not mean you have a problem today. We see plenty of furniture with holes from decades ago and no live beetles at all.

Our process, step by step

We start with an inspection to confirm the beetle species and whether the holes are active or old, because old damage does not need treating. Exposed timber such as roof trusses, beams and floor joists is treated with a residual borer spray that penetrates the surface and kills emerging beetles and young larvae. Where the wood is thick or the infestation is deep, we inject product directly into the flight holes and drilled galleries. Badly weakened timber should be replaced by a builder, and we tell you which pieces are past saving. Valuable furniture can be sealed and fumigated instead.

Want the full step-by-step? See how our wood borer treatment service works.

Prevention that actually works

• Check second-hand furniture for holes and fresh powder before you bring it home.
• Use treated timber for any roofing, decking or building work, and check the treatment marks on it.
• Keep the roof space ventilated and fix leaks quickly, since damp timber attracts borer.
• If you are buying or selling, book the beetle inspection early so it does not delay the transfer.
• Have the roof timbers looked at every few years in an older house.

What affects the price

The price depends on how much timber needs treating, how easy the roof space is to get into and which beetle we are dealing with. A single piece of furniture is a very different job to a full roof of trusses. Injection work, replacement advice and certificates for transfers are all included in a free quote once we have seen the property.

Adult beetles emerge mainly from late spring through summer, roughly October to February in Cape Town, which is when fresh holes and powder show up. That is the best time to spot an active problem, but treatment can be done all year round.

Wood Borer Treatment questions from Glencairn

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