🪵 Woodworm (Carcoma) in Spanish Homes: What Every Homeowner Should Know
Many homeowners in Spain confuse woodworm (carcoma) with termites. While both are pests that damage wood, they are very different:
- Termites: Silent, hidden destroyers that weaken structural beams from the inside until they collapse without warning.
- Woodworm: Less structurally dangerous, but still a serious issue that affects beams, floors, and furniture.
Knowing the difference — and how to detect and treat woodworm — is essential for protecting your home.
Where Do Woodworm Come From?
Unlike termites, woodworm don’t live in underground nests. They usually arrive through:
- Infested furniture you buy second-hand.
- A neighboring location.
- Or simply by flying in through an open window.
Once inside, they prefer the outer layers of wood (beams, flooring, furniture).
How to Detect Woodworm
Fortunately, woodworm leave visible signs:
- Tiny holes in wood, usually 1 mm or less in diameter.
- If the hole looks bright in color, it’s recent.
- If you run your finger over a hole and it feels sharp-edged, the insect is likely still active.
- Inside the wood, they create U-shaped tunnels before exiting through another hole.
- They can be detected most easily if you have smooth and clean surfaces, by the wood powder they leave behind
Note: Only about 10% of a woodworm’s life cycle is spent as an adult insect eating wood — the rest is spent as larvae inside the wood, laying eggs and reproducing.
Can You Live With Woodworm?
The truth is, many homes in Spain coexist with small populations of woodworm. Depending on the type of property and location, it’s nearly impossible to guarantee 100% elimination long-term. The key is control, not panic.
Methods to Eliminate Woodworm
There are three main approaches:
1. Poison Treatments
- Professional-grade insecticides are far more effective than DIY store products.
- The liquid must be brushed onto raw, unvarnished wood so it can soak in.
- Very effective if applied thoroughly — and usually protects wood for several years.
- Downside: The wood becomes chemically treated (“poisoned”).
2. Heat Treatment
- Exposing wood to 50–60ºC for 1–3 hours kills all stages of woodworm.
- Guarantees 100% eradication at the time of treatment.
- Expensive and sometimes difficult for whole homes.
- Since the wood itself isn’t protected, reinfestation is possible.
3. Anoxia (Oxygen Removal)
- Used mostly for furniture and art pieces.
- The item is sealed in plastic and the air is gradually removed over several days, creating an anoxic environment.
- Highly effective for killing all living woodworm.
- Like heat treatment, the wood isn’t protected afterwards, so future infestations are possible.
The Most Important Step
Whether you’re dealing with woodworm or termites, the key questions are:
- Do you have them?
- Are they alive?
- How extensive is the infestation?
Knowing this allows you to make smart decisions — whether it’s living with a small, manageable population or investing in professional treatment.
✅ At iNMOspector, we help homeowners and buyers identify woodworm and termites, determine their activity level, and estimate the real impact on a property’s safety and value.
Because spotting a hole is easy — knowing what it means is the real expertise.