Every year, numerous homes in Pennsylvania are invaded by a variety of wood destroying insects, the most notable being the termite. Termites do more damage to houses, annually, then all reported fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and windstorms combined.

Note: If you are a health institution and wish to use non-pesticide Integrated Pest Management techniques for eradicating termites, we can advise you who to call. Properties with cultured bee colonies might also consider non-Termidor approaches to extermination. Integrated Management Techniques for eradicating termites are more costly and more time consuming. For homeowners and most commercial properties, we recommend extermination with Termidor, which is quicker and far less expensive.

Signs of a Termite Infestation

As a homeowner, it is incumbent upon you to check assiduously for any signs of a termite infestation. The following signs may tell you that your house is infested with termites:

• • Wood structure disintegration – Wood structures in your home are beginning to disintegrate at a rapid rate. Wood may sound hollow when tapped.

• • Evidence of internal termite tunnels – Wooden structures in the home such as posts, steps, door posts and trim may have internal termite tunnels The only visible evidence of their presence may be entranceways, covered over by dirt.

• • Termite Frass – Piles of small pellets of different colors but always six sided. These are dry wood termite droppings and appear on dry wood furniture and house structures infested by termites.

• • Pieces of termite swarmers – During the termite “swarming (mating) season,” February-June, you might find pieces of termite wings lying on the ground outside your home, or on your porch, or in your basement, or other rooms in the home.

• • Sagging floors and ceilings – These are indicative of either dry, wet, or subterranean termite infestations. They are a sign of a late infestation.
  • Termite tunnels – Termite tunnels are vertical runways of cylindrical mounds of dirt that rise from the floor and run along the walls up to wooden posts in the ceiling. Termite workers continually travel up and down through tiny hollow channels within the dirt mounds.

How do you tell the difference between a termite and an ant?

• • The termite’s waist is fat, whereas the ant waste is pinched thin.

• • The length of the termite wings is as much as double the length of the body, whereas ant wings just manage to cover the body.

• • Termite antennae are straight and ant antennae are elbowed (bent).
  • The front pair of wings in an ant are noticeably larger than the back pair. With termites, however, the front and back wings are the same size.

Licensed Real Estate Termite Inspections

We perform licensed Real Estate termite inspections. A Real Estate Inspection Report (wood inspection report), is required by most lending institutions, before they will approve purchase or refinancing loans. If the inspection shows evidence of termite damage or active termite infestation, the institution will likely require the seller to repair the structural damage and pay a licensed pest control company to eradicate the infestation. The owner will be responsible for repairing termite related structural damage.

A # 1 Pest Control issues WDI (Wood Destroying Insect) reports or “Termite Certificates,” for real estate transactions. Reports are issued same day after a thorough visual examination, both inside and out, of the house or structure, including adjacent wood buildings on the property. Insects that can cause damage to wooden structures include: Subterranean Termites, Carpenter Ants, Powder Post Beetles & Carpenter Bees. The WDI Report will describe the condition of the property at the time of the inspection, i.e., whether the building has a wood destroying insect infestation or appears to be free of infestation. In addition to damage description, the report will recommend hiring a building professional to repair termite related structural damage, if called for. According to state regulations, even minor termite damage must be reported. While MDI reports only require listing visually apparent damage, A # 1 Pest control inspectors recognize subtle signs of property infestation. We have more than 20 years of termite inspection experience, and promise to do a thorough job. After the inspection is completed, we will make sure to fax copies of the report to you and your agent.