We're going bug hunting today, people! Most people associate this inspection with termites, although it does look for any evidence of wood destroying insects - there are other insects that attack the wood structures of your home.
An inspector will look for evidence of insect activity. For termites, she'll look for mud tubes on the surface of the walls, which indicate activity within the wall. Now, here's where some of this gets tricky: An inspector cannot see into the wall, so she won't be able to see activity within the wall, or any damage done by the insects.
If you have evidence of activity, you will typically ask the Seller to treat the home. In certain instances, it may make sense to ask the Seller to remove drywall so that you can acertain any damage done to the structure. Certain mortgages require a clean termite cert (namely VA and FHA) so the Seller will need to treat the home.
Once a termite treatment is done, you will typically get a one year guarantee on the treatment, and a reduced rate if you decide to do a yearly treatment of the home.
Need a recommendation for a great bug guy? I've got one! Shoot me an email and I'll be happy to pass on his contact information!
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See you there!
A great resource for information about termites on the web is the Termite Institute, www.termiteinstitute.com. The Termite Institute is a wealth of information about all different species of termites, how to identify a swarm and tips on prevention and solution. You can also search the interactive map which identifies the specific species in your area of the country.
Oooo, great bug find cupton! Thanks!