Termite Inspection Update

termite inspectionDid you know that not all wood boring insects look for wet, rotting wood? Our termite inspection pros know that it’s true, especially when it comes to Incisitermes minor. Also known as western drywood termites, they love nothing more than to make their homes in perfectly good, dry wood. Therefore, just because you’ve repaired those plumbing problems and trimmed back the outside vegetation, it doesn’t mean that it’s time to rest on your laurels. As a matter of fact, in Oakland, autumn is prime swarming time. So it definitely pays to be hyper vigilant from now until December.

However, due to the western drywood termites’ inherent nature, being hyper vigilant isn’t easy for the average Californian. Why? For starters, the insects spend most of their time within the confines of the wood itself. And when they do come out to swarm, they leave precious little evidence behind. So oftentimes, the best way to conduct a drywood termite inspection is with a series of non-invasive tools that allow a professional to see inside of wood without causing further damage.

Understandably, the tools used by termite inspection professionals will vary based on the situation. Some of the items likely to be used during routine inspections are optical bore scopes, infrared cameras, acoustic emission and microwave detection devices. Some inspectors have also been known to use termite sniffing dogs and hand-held scanners. That said, what home and business owners may want to look for on their own are clean, pellet-size holes that are surrounded by fecal matter, dead bodies and wings.

The fecal matter and wings are unlike that of other wood boring insects in one key respect, their appearance. The fecal matter is likely to be very tiny and resemble a hexagon. The wings, on the other hand, are apt to be less than an inch long. As for their dead bodies, they are usually small and may be ochre, light tan or dark brown in appearance. If any of those three things show up in a building, its best to contact us and let our termite inspection pros take over. After a free termite inspection, they’ll be able to confirm the species involved, find all of its colonies and make recommendations on the opportune way to wipe them all out. We also offer lifetime monitoring to help ensure that the termites won’t return and create more damage in the years to come.