How do I know if my home has termites or other wood destroying insects?

It takes an expert to detect termite damage. General home inspections do not typically include a termite inspection. It is highly recommended that you get a termite inspection by a licensed pest control company in addition to your general home inspection.

Who should complete the wood destroying insect inspection?

While some home inspectors conduct wood destroying insect inspections for their clients, we believe our clients are best served by having a licensed pest control company complete this inspection. We would rather give up the fee income and do what is right for our clients.

The reasons to use a licensed pest control company include:

• The wood destroying insect report is not part of a home inspection. The wood destroying insect inspection is completed using form NPMA-33. You mortgage company may ask for a copy of this form. There is a place for a license number on the form. More and more conventional loan programs are requiring that this form be filled out by a licensed pest control company and cite their license number. CHFA, VA, and FHA programs also do.
• If the home has been treated for wood destroying insects a licensed pest control company can determine if the treatment was applied correctly to begin with or if re-treatment is needed.
• While we will asses and discuss visible and accessible damaged building materials, the pest control company can provide an estimate for treatment.

As part of our service we can arrange a wood destroying insect inspection to coincide with your home inspection. We do not charge a fee for this service. Any costs for the wood destroying insect inspection will be paid directly to the pest control company. If you prefer to use your own company provide us the name and we'll make the phone call for you.

How do I prevent wood destroying insect infestation?
There are many steps you can take toward preventing infestation if you know what termites look for and take steps to make your home less attractive to them.

Termites are ground insects that look for habitats that provide food, moisture and shelter close to the ground. Any place where wood meets ground qualifies, especially if the soil in that area stays moist. Correcting this situation may require re-grading to separate soil from any wood around your home. Since mulch and many other landscaping materials cause the soil to remain moist, you should make sure to minimize mulching around your foundation. Some experts recommend mulching no closer than a foot from your home’s foundation. You should also stack your firewood away from your home, preferably by several feet. Make sure that gutters and downspouts are in good condition and keep moisture from accumulating. You should also make sure to eliminate any moisture problems in and around your home, especially in basements and crawlspaces. 

You can also hire professional termite exterminators to apply chemical treatments that protect your home. Be sure to find out how long the treatments last.  The chemicals on the market today generally protect your home for up to 5 years.