What is a Death Watch Beetle? Looking at the Death Watch Beetle in Depth

Updated: Jun 2, 2023

Death Watch Beetle causes severe structural damage to hardwood timbers usually where some form of decay is present. We've Got Hereford & Worcester Covered!

This week we’re looking at the Death Watch Beetle, often located in historic buildings like stately homes where they’ve likely made their home for many years, often from the inception of the building as Death Watch Beetle were often already in the timbers used in the construction.

The Death Watch Beetle is a wood boring beetle whose grubs eat hardwood structural timbers. These grubs can live up to ten years inside timber (although they don’t like softwood) after which they emerge as beetles.

The Death Watch Beetle is around 7mm in length and bears a mottled brown / grey outer shell. They can fit through a much smaller hole of around half their size.

Interesting fact about the Death Watch Beetle:

Adult Death Watch Beetles’ mating call is produced by beating their heads against the wood and resulting in a fast tapping sound.

The adults rarely fly and their natural predator is the spider.

Death Watch Beetle infestations are declining, and this is thought to be because old buildings are treated as they are restored, or the buildings are demolished altogether.

How to treat Death Watch Beetle

Chemical treatment can be used to treat an infestation. Specialist advice can achieve a more environmentally friendly solution such as regulating moisture levels with a view to killing off the beetle. However, in situations where improvement to the environment can’t be achieved, chemical intervention is more likely.