Controlling Deathwatch Beetles Reading Answers

Apr 25, 2025

Controlling Deathwatch Beetles Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Controlling Deathwatch Beetles Reading Answers has a total of 14 IELTS questions in total.

In the first question set (1-4 ) you have to choose the correct letter from the option given (A-H)

In the next question set (5-9) you have to state whether the statement is true, false or not given with reference to the passage given. In the last question set (10-13) you have to choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

The IELTS Reading section is a crucial component of the IELTS exam, designed to assess a candidate's ability to comprehend and analyze different types of passages. In this passage, you will engage with a series of IELTS reading practice questions that simulate real test scenarios. These questions are aimed at improving your skills in identifying key ideas, extracting specific information, and making inferences. Whether you are preparing for the Academic or General Training module, practicing Controlling Deathwatch Beetles IELTS reading questions will help you become familiar with the format and boost your confidence for the actual test.

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Section 1 CONTROLLING DEATHWATCH BEETLES

All of the organisms that damage timber in buildings are part of the natural process that takes deadwood to the forest floor, decomposes it into humus and recycles the nutrients released back into trees. Each stage in this process requires the correct environment and if we replicate this in our buildings then the organisms belonging to that part of the cycle will invade. A poorly maintained roof is, after all, just an extension Of the forest floor to a fungus.

The first fact to remember about deathwatch beetles in your building is that they have probably been there for centuries and will continue long after you have gone. Beetle damage in oak timbers is a slow process and if we make it slower by good maintenance then the beetle population may eventually decline to extinction. The second fact is that natural predation will help you. Spiders are a significant predator and will help to keep the beetle population under control. They will speed up the decline Of a beetle population in a well -maintained building.

The beetles fly to light and some form of the light trap may help to deplete a population. The place in which it is used must be dark so that there is no competing light source, and the air temperature must rise above about VOC during the emergence season (April to June) so that the beetles will fly. Beetle holes do not disappear when the beetles have gone so it is sometimes necessary to confirm active infestation if remedial works are planned. This is generally easy with beetle damage in sapwood because the holes will look clean and have sharp edges, usually with bore dust trickling from them. Infestation deep within modified heartwood is more difficult to detect, particularly because the beetles will not necessarily bite their own emergence holes if plenty of other holes are available. This problem may be overcome by clogging the suspected holes with furniture polish or by covering a group of holes tightly with paper or card. Any emerging beetles will make a hole that should be visible so that the extent and magnitude of the problem can be assessed. Unnecessary pesticide treatments must be avoided.

Sometimes a building cannot be dried enough to eradicate the beetles or a localised population will have built up unnoticed. A few scattered beetles in a building need not cause much concern, but dozens Of beetles below a beam-end might indicate the need for some form of treatment if the infested timber is accessible. Insecticides formulated as a paste can be effective — either applied to the surface or caulked into predrilled holes — but the formulations may only be obtainable by a remedial company. Surface spray treatments are generally ineffective because they barely penetrate the surface of the timber and the beetles' natural behaviour does not bring it into much contact with the insecticide. Contact insecticides might also kill natural predators.

Heat treatments for entire buildings are available and the continental experience is that they are effective. They are also likely to be expensive but they may be the only way to eradicate a heavy and widespread infestation without causing considerable structural degradation of the building.

Two other beetles are worth a mention.

The first is the House Longhorn Beetle (Hylotrupes bajulus). This is a large insect that produces oval emergence holes that are packed with litter cylindrical pellets. The beatles restrict their activities to the sapwood of 20th-century softwood, although there is now some evidence that they will attack older softwood. The beetle larvae can cause considerable damage but infestation has generally been restricted to the southwest of London, possibly because they need a high temperature before the beetles will fly. Old damage is, however, frequently found elsewhere, thus indicating a wider distribution in the past, and infested timber is sometimes imported. This is an insect that might become more widespread because of climate change.

The second is the Lyctus or powderpost beetle. There are several species that are rather difficult to tell apart. These beetles live in the sapwood of oak. The beetles breed rapidly so that many cylindrical beetles may be present and the round emergence holes resemble athose Of the furniture beetle. This is and has always been, a pest Of newly-installed oak. Timbers with an exploded sapwood surface are frequently found in old buildings and the damage will have occurred during the first few decades after the timbers were installed. Our main interest with these beetles is that they seem to have become more common of late. Beetle infestation within a few months of a new oak construction will be Lyctus beetles in the sapwood and not furniture beetles. The problem can be avoided by using oak with minimal sapwood content. The beetle infestation will cease after a few years but spray treatment may be necessary if an infestation is heavy.

Questions 1-4

Write the correct letter A-H.

I. One species of the beetle population may spread………….

Answer: F

Supporting statement: This is an insect that might become more widespread because of climate change

Keywords: widespread, climate change

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 8

Explanation: According to the text the house longhorn beetle (Hylotrupes bajulus) might populate more quickly if the weather conditions around them changes to quickly

2. You can detect the presence of beetles…………

Answer: B

Supporting statement:This problem may be overcome by clogging the suspected holes with furniture polish or by covering a group of holes tightly with paper or card.

Keywords: clogging, holes

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 9-10

Explanation: According to the text you can easily detect a Beatles presents in your house by clogging the suspected holes with furniture polish or by covering a group of holes tightly with the paper or card as emerging beetles will make new holes for exit that will be visible to you this will allow you to assess the situation more carefully.

3. You may kill household spiders …………

Answer: D

Supporting statement:Contact insecticides might also kill natural predators.

Keywords: insecticides, predators

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 8

Explanation: The text mentions that if you use contact insecticides then there are chances that you might also kill household spiders who are natural predators for the Beetles in the process of eliminating The Beetles.

4. Beetles will disappear at a faster rate………….

Answer: A

Supporting statement: slower by good maintenance then the beetle population may eventually decline to extinction.

Keywords: maintenance, extinction

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 3-4

Explanation: According to the text the beetle population can be slowed down if the building is well maintained. This will eventually lead to their extension as they have no place to outgrow themselves and populate.

A. if the building is kept in good condition.

B. if you clog the suspected holes with furniture polish, paper or card.

C if the temperature rises to above about T70C during the emergence season.

D. if you use a contact insecticide.

E. if it was installed a few decades earlier.

F. if changes in weather patterns continue.

G. if the use of surface treatments is avoided.

H. if the wood has a low sapwood concentration.

Questions 5 and 9

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

TRUE - if the statement agrees with the writer's claims

FALSE - if the statement contradicts the writer's claims

NOT GIVEN - if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

5. Infestation by beetles deep within modified heartwood can be identified by the type of hole visible.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: Infestation deep within modified heartwood is more difficult to detect, particularly because the beetles

Keywords: heartwood, difficult

Keyword Location: Para 3, Line7

Explanation: According to the passage, infestation deep within the modified heartwood is more difficult to detect because of the beetles as they do not necessarily bite their emergency holes. Also because Beatles holes do not disappear when they leave so it is quite important to confirm active or passive infestation to plan a remedy or a way to get rid of it.

6. Clogging a hole with furniture polish or paper will trap the beetle inside permanently.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: holes with furniture polish or by covering a group of holes tightly with paper or card. Any emerging beetles will make a hole

Keywords: holes, emerging

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 9-10

Explanation: The text mentions that the clogging of holes tightly with furniture polish of paper will not permanently trap the Beetle inside as they will make new holes to exit from the Invested area.

7. Paste insecticides are less effective than any other kind

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: Insecticides formulated as a paste can be effective

Keywords: formulated, paste

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 4

Explanation: The text States that insecticides formed in the form of space are effective as they can be applied directly to the surface or curved into the pre-drilled holes allowing it to come into direct contact with the Beetles.

8. Surface spray treatments are sometimes effective for the House Longhorn Beetle.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage does not contain any information regarding surface spray treatments being effective sometimes for the house longhorn beetle.

9. Heat treatments tend to cause less damage than other treatments.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: widespread infestation without causing considerable structural degradation of the building.

Keywords: widespread, degradation

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 11

Explanation: According to the passage, heat treating the entire building may be an expensive way but also the only way to eradicate a heavy and white spread Infestation of the Beetles without causing any structural damage to the building.

Questions 10-13

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

I0. The point the writer makes about deathwatch beetles is that

A. they must be eliminated quickly.

B. only natural predation will keep them under control.

C with good maintenance it may be possible to eliminate them.

D. they are here to stay and do great damage.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: good maintenance then the beetle population may eventually decline to extinction.

Keywords: maintenance, population

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 3-4

Explanation: Through the text the writer wants to make a point that the deathwatch Beetles can be eliminated completely by ensuring that the building is well maintained and taken career

11. one way to trap deathwatch beetles is to attract them to

A. daylight.

B. a totally dark environment.

C a constantly warm environment.

D. a light trap in a dark place.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: light trap may help to deplete a population.

Keywords: light trap, deplete

Keyword Location: Para 3, Line 1

Explanation: According to the passage the only way to trap deathwatch beetles is by the use of a light trap. While making the trap, you must ensure that the place in which it is kept is completely dark and has no source of light coming from anywhere.

12. Surface spray treatments are not effective because

A the beetles are immune to them.

B. they do not reach the beetles.

C they react poorly to wooden surfaces.

D. they attract other harmful creatures.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: Surface spray treatments are generally ineffective

Keywords: surface, treatments

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 6

Explanation: The text mentions that the surface pre-treatment are generally ineffective in case of beetle infestation, as the Beetle does not come in contact with the spray due to their natural behaviour and the spray cannot penetrate the surface of the timber to reach the Beetles living underneath it

13. Damage by the House Longhorn Beetle is sometimes found further afield than London because

A. temperatures have increased.

B. the timber was not local timber.

C there was no effective treatment previously.

D. the type of timber has changed.

Answer: B

Supporting statement:Old damage is, however, frequently found elsewhere, thus indicating a wider distribution in the past, and infested timber is sometimes imported.

Keywords: Damage, distribution

Keyword Location: Para 5, Lines 6-7

Explanation: According to the text, in House Longhorn beetles usually infest the southwest of London, but there may be evidence that they also attack older softwood. However old damage in places further away from London might be a sign that the wood (timber) was imported.

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