I'm curious if using naphtha or gasoline is a good method to eliminate woodworms, especially since my grandfather mentioned it was used for old pendulum clocks. How effective is it, and what's the best way to apply it? Would it work to just seal the treated piece in a plastic bag and pour some inside for fumigation?
2 Answers
The size of the piece matters when figuring out how to deal with woodworms. A microwave is actually the easiest and most effective method for killing them. Just give it a few short bursts—definitely don't go for gasoline unless you want your project to smell like a gas station for ages! Also, keep in mind that woodworms are actually beetles that burrow in the wood.
My dad had success with Mineral Turpentine to kill wood borers, but while it gets the bugs, the bacteria and fungi they leave behind can still be a problem. For a more thorough solution, dry heat or extreme cold is better, but that might take weeks or months to fully resolve. If someone claims they can fix it in a day, I'd be wary. Check with local museums for their methods—they usually know how to handle pests in wood artifacts.