For homebuyers, homeowners and business owners, when it comes to wood destroying insects, the saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is completely correct. As a property owner, one of the most effective ways to protect your property from insect damage is to periodically schedule a WDI and Termite Inspection.
Termite Damage
According to the National Pest Management Association, termites cause over $5 billion in property damage every year – costs that aren’t covered by homeowners’ insurance policies. How do these pests do so much damage? The following reasons shed some light on this question:
- Termite colonies can be very large, enabling them to do significant damage in a short period of time.
- Termite activity often goes undetected, eating all day — and all night.
- Homeowners often see the damage before they see the termites.
Many homeowners don’t even know they have termites until substantial damage has been done.
If you’re in the market for a new house, it’s also wise to have a WDI inspector assess the home before you buy it. After all, you don’t want to learn about a major infestation or find damage after settlement.
Our WDI inspectors
Our WDI inspectors have over 60 years combined experience working in the field. A WDI technician inspects the visually accessible areas of a home and includes an inspection for termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and re-infesting wood boring beetles. The inspection will concentrate on factors that could lead to infestation or support-hidden infestation. These include firewood and other debris stored against the home, wood siding contact with the soil, and grade, which does not slope away from the foundation. All WDI inspectors use the National Pest Management Association report format NPMA-33 that is recognized by most states and is the preferred report format for FHA, HUD and VA mortgages.