The woodworm, or more precisely the common nail beetle and its larvae, love the soft woods in pianos. Traces of woodworm infestation can often be found on old pianos.
If traces of woodworm (drilling dust) can be found anywhere, the woodworms have usually been found in other invisible places. It is not always possible to tell whether the worm is still active just from old/fresh drilling dust. In any case, such an instrument must be professionally inspected. Damaged wood must be replaced - and the instrument as a whole must be treated and protected against woodworm. This can be done selectively by certified specialist companies - or preferably by fumigating the entire piano in a certified company.
We recently took two pianos with suspected woodworm infestation to Binker GmbH in Lauf an der Pegnitz for fumigation and conducted a short interview there on questions relating to piano fumigation.
If your piano is infested with woodworm, we recommend that you act quickly. On request, we can also coordinate transport and organise fumigation in a specialist company.
If the woodworm infestation is significant, especially on structural elements such as the rest, it is sometimes no longer possible to restore a piano at an economically justifiable cost. There is also a risk that the woodworm will also attack other objects or components in the room or house.
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