wood infestation

[Gyn_Paul]

Well, if one hole can be called an infestation, then I've got an infestation.

Grubbing around the attic, this morning, I came across a pile of wood

shavings on top of one of the boxes - about the volume of a smallish

egg-cup, I suppose - exactly the size and composition you would get by

drilling into a piece of wood with a high-speed twist drill.

This was a bit odd as I've not drilled anything in this area of the

roof. So absent-mindedly I poked around the chevrons and lathes, looking

for  a bit of woodworm damage before realising that the size of the

particles was much too large for woodworm who usually produce something

more resembling flour. Then I noticed my hand was covering a hole in

the underside of one of the chevrons. I went and got a tape and it's

exactly 10mm across (honestly, you'd swear someone has sneeked into the

attic and drilled a 10mm hole into the damn thing).

I'm not that worried (well not yet anyway) as I intend to Xylothene the

whole roof before covering any of the timbers, but I'm interested to

know what sort of creature leaves a flight hole that size.

Any offers?

p

[Suandpete]

    I think it may be a carpenter bee- we have them in our log pile and they make holes exactly like that: http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/solbee.htm#carpenter

The hole is quite long - about a foot sometimes.....   They are solitary bees though so should be fairly easy to get rid of if that is what they are.