Although it is basically a very durable material, wood can be degraded. In general, the destructive agents that can attack wood are: (a) mechanical wear, (b) heat, (c) chemicals, (d) insects, (e) fungi, (f) animals, (g) water. Findlay provides a review of factors a-f in his book Timber Pests and Diseases . In this article, a brief discussion of insect and fungal attack on wood will be presented.