This is formally called a "Wood Destroying Insect Infestation Inspection Report."

This inspection checks for termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees and powder post beetles. 

These insects are wood boring insects that can cause damage to your home.

Termites

How would the inspector probing wood framing know when he has struck a termite area?

Usually the tool (a sharp probe) will break the surface easily and the subsurface areas will typically have a clean hollowed out appearance -often with termite excrement and waste products in the eaten out spaces. The excrement is a brownish-grayish color, finely packed in the hollowed areas. Termites eat the cellulose found in wood. Don’t forget, termites are very tricky and like to hide themselves from view. An area that is hard to discover these pests is in a finished basement and behind walls. This would be considered an inaccessible area. This is an area that is hidden from the inspectors view. Remember, the inspectors can only inspect areas that they can view. They are not allowed to disassemble anything from a seller’s home. Please be aware that when there are inaccessible areas, there is a change that there could be hidden pests.

What would make termites leave a house? There are numerous reasons. Sometimes unusual noises such as remodeling can make the termites nervous and the colony may decide that it is no longer safe. Sometimes a large infestation of carpenter ants may attack the termite colony. The carpenter ants are more aggressive, and as a result the termites would leave rather than have their colony destroyed. To guarantee removal of termites, call a licensed exterminator for a treatment. The procedure may involve digging down to the footings to inject a termiticide .This can be very costly, so if you have any signs of termites, nip the problem in the bud and have them treated before they infest your home

Carpenter Ants

Are there homes that are more susceptible to carpenter ant activity? Yes! 

Houses with rot and decaying exterior/interior areas, homes with moisture problems, direct wood to soil contact or close proximity to the soil or grade, and houses with unventilated attic/basement crawl spaces.

Carpenter ants/bees do not eat the wood, but merely excavate the wood. The treatment for carpenter ants is usually much easier than for termites. This procedure usually involves surface spraying or dusting of an approved pesticide. It is also less costly.

Powder Post Beetles

Powder post beetles are a group of insects that can pulverize wood over a period of time and the end result looks like powder. These are very common in New England. They eat the sugar and sap found in wood framing. To determine if there are powder post beetle attacks, the inspector would look for these clues; small drilled holes about 1/8" to 1/4" in wood framing. (This is called the emergence holes of beetles) Powder like dust called frass, yellowish colored framing with packed in sawdust like material. Do they re-infest wood, like ants and termites? Usually not. When the supply of sap and sugar is gone, they will typically die out or move to a better feeding ground. Surface application by an exterminator can help to arrest the problem. Be aware that further applications may be needed in the future.

So please remember, your inspector cannot see through walls. He can only inspect the viewable areas and look for clues to determine insect infiltration.

Tri-State Home Inspections Inc.