What exactly do woodworm do?
People call it woodworm, but the damage is done by the larva. The adult beetle lays its eggs in cracks or pores in the wood, and the eggs hatch into larvae that bore tunnels through the wood and eat it. A larva can stay inside for months, and some species stay for more than a year, without anything showing on the outside.
When the larva is fully grown it turns into a beetle, and the beetle chews its way out. Only then do the round holes and the powder appear. So the hole you can see now is an exit, and the tunnels inside are much longer. Every beetle that comes out can lay eggs in the same piece or the one next to it, so the infestation grows year after year if nobody stops it.
Why an ordinary spray doesn’t reach them
Most people buy a spray and apply it to the front of the wardrobe. The product dries on the surface, and that surface is painted or varnished and doesn’t absorb anything anyway. The larva sits deep inside the wood and never touches the product.
That is why our work relies on two things. The first is injection: we use the exit holes as entry points and inject the product into the tunnels so it spreads along the paths where the larvae live. The second is treating bare wood, such as wardrobe backs, chair legs, drawer undersides and parquet edges. These parts absorb the product and make it harder for a new beetle to lay eggs there.
Then comes the follow-up. Larvae deep in the wood take time, so we come back to see whether any hole is still producing powder and treat it again. German Egypt Control is licensed by the Ministry of Health and Population, licence no. 32, and the products we inject are approved by the ministry. Most are odourless, so you don’t need to empty the room or leave the house during treatment. Just take the clothes out of any wardrobe we are going to inject.
Where we find it in Egypt
We often find woodworm in new bedroom and dining sets made from wood that wasn’t properly treated and dried, in wooden doors and windows in older flats, and in parquet laid over damp floors. In villas in Sheikh Zayed, 6th of October and the Fifth Settlement we find it in pergolas, wooden ceilings and kitchen cabinets.
Sometimes the furniture is new and shows no sign at all, and the infestation appears a year or two later because the larvae were already inside the wood when it left the workshop. That isn’t your fault, but it does mean acting as soon as you see powder. The same goes for furniture brought from the family home or an old flat. Check it before it goes next to your new pieces.
Woodworm or termites?
Many people confuse the two, and the treatment is completely different. Woodworm leave clean, round holes and fine powder that falls under the piece. Termites work from the inside and don’t make exit holes like these. You will usually find thin mud tubes on the wall or the wood, or wood that sounds hollow when you tap it. If you are unsure, a photo on WhatsApp settles it within minutes. The difference matters, because termite treatment is applied to the ground and walls around the building, not only inside the piece, and a wrong diagnosis wastes money and time.
When to call us
Call as soon as you find powder that comes back after cleaning, or new holes that weren’t there before. An infestation in one chair leg today can reach the whole dining set, and treating one piece is much easier than treating a full room. If you have an old piece or an antique that matters to you, don’t wait until the wood weakens.
Send a close-up photo of the holes and the powder, plus a photo of the whole piece, on WhatsApp. The technician will tell you whether the infestation is active or old before you book a visit. Anywhere in Egypt, a technician can reach you the same day if you need a quick inspection.
After the treatment: what to do
- Clean up the powder after treatment and put a sheet of dark paper under the piece. If new powder appears after two weeks, photograph it and send it to us.
- Don't paint or varnish the piece until we have confirmed the infestation has stopped. Paint seals the holes and hides the evidence.
- Once it is confirmed, you can fill the holes with wax or wood filler, and any new hole will show up straight away.
- Check any second-hand furniture or new timber before you put it next to your own furniture.
The price is set after the inspection
The price of woodworm treatment depends on how many pieces are affected and how big they are, whether the infestation is in movable furniture or in doors, parquet and ceilings, how far it has spread, and how many follow-up visits are needed. We confirm the exact price before we start, and the inspection comes with no obligation.
After treatment you receive a guarantee certificate stating the period and the service, and if the problem returns within that period we come back at no extra cost.
