Wood Borer Pest Control in Bandra

Lakdi ke keede in Pali Hill and Bandstand furniture

The homes on Pali Hill and the sea-facing flats at Bandstand hold more old wood than anywhere else we work: antique chests and dining tables, carved doors, wooden wall panels and wooden ceilings. Owners here call the problem lakdi ke keede. Little round holes appear, and under them a small pile of fine powder that comes back every time you wipe it.

The insect is a beetle. It lays its eggs in a crack in the wood, and the larvae eat their way through the inside for months before they come out as adults and leave the holes. By the time you see the holes, the damage inside has been going on for a while, and the beetles can move to the next piece of furniture in the room.

How the wood is treated

Treatment starts at ₹2,800, and the price depends on how many pieces are affected and whether fixed wood such as a ceiling or a floor is involved. Inside the 1-year warranty you get 3 free follow-up visits a year. Preventive treatment is available for valuable pieces that are not yet affected.

• Furniture and antique pieces

  The product is injected into the holes and applied to the surface with a quick-drying formula that is safe for polish and old finishes. A hidden spot is tested first on a valuable piece.

• Panels, ceilings, doors and flooring

  Fixed wood gets a deeper treatment that takes longer and may need furniture moved away from the wall first. Wooden ceilings are done from below, through the existing joints and holes.

Photos: Wood Borer Pest Control in Bandra

• What does wood borer treatment cost for a Pali Hill home?

  It starts at ₹2,800, with a 1-year warranty. A single antique piece costs less than a panelled room with a wooden ceiling, because the price follows how much wood is affected. The inspection is free. Send photos of the holes and the dust on WhatsApp to 80979 41077 and we plan the visit from them.

• Can an antique piece with wood borer be saved?

  Usually, yes, as long as the wood is still sound. The holes are injected and the surface treated, and the beetles inside die. If a piece has become too weak to hold together, the technician tells you, because leaving it in the room keeps spreading the beetles to the furniture next to it.

• How do I tell wood borer from termites in a wooden ceiling?

  Borer leaves small round holes with fine powder falling from them. Termites leave mud lines along the joints and wood that sounds hollow when tapped, with no powder. A ceiling can have both. Show the technician the holes and the dust you have collected, and the free inspection settles which treatment it needs.

• Will the injection spoil the polish on old teak?

  It should not. The product is injected into the existing holes and applied with a quick-drying formula made for finished wood. On a valuable antique or a delicate polish, point out the piece during the inspection and the technician tests a hidden spot first, before doing the rest.

• Should I move the infested piece away from the others?

  Yes, if you can do it safely, because the beetles spread to nearby wood. Do not move it to another flat or into storage, which takes the problem with it. Vacuum the dust, leave the holes as they are so the technician can see them, and book the inspection.

• Can wood borer be in a new modular kitchen?

  Yes, though it is less common. Infested plywood or timber is sometimes used by mistake, and beetles spread from an old piece standing nearby. Keep a sample of the powder, photograph the holes and speak to your carpenter as well, because the kitchen may still be under its own warranty.

• How do you treat wood borer in wall panels and wooden ceilings?

  Fixed wood gets a deeper treatment than furniture. The technician injects through the holes and the joints, applies the product along the panel and ceiling surfaces, and may need furniture moved away from the wall first. It takes longer than a single piece, and the technician tells you how long before starting.

• Can wood borer spread from one piece of furniture to another?

  Yes. The adult beetles come out of one piece and lay eggs in cracks in the next, so an untreated chest can infest a cupboard, a door frame and the flooring near it. Check the pieces standing close to the affected one, and ask the technician to look at all of them during the free inspection.

• How do I stop wood borer coming back in a sea-facing flat?

  Keep the damp down: fix leaks, open closed rooms to air, and keep wood off wet floors. Have old pieces checked before they come into the home, and look for fresh dust now and then. Inside the warranty you get 3 free follow-up visits a year, which is a good moment to have new dust or holes looked at.

• Do you treat both old and new furniture in Bandra?

  Yes. Antique pieces, new furniture, wooden flooring, panels, ceilings, doors and frames are all treated. Tell the technician which pieces are valuable or have a delicate finish, and a hidden spot is tested on those first. Home remedies such as oil or vinegar are not something we use or can vouch for.