Insects commonly noted on the WDIR include subterranean termites, powder post beetles, old house borers, carpenter ants and sometimes carpenter bees. Other, less common insects may also be reported. The presence of wood-decay fungi may be listed as a condition conducive to subterranean termites. Other conditions that may be conducive to termites include insufficient clearance between wood members and the soil, excessive moisture in the crawl space, construction flaws or improper grading. The PCO must evaluate these and other conditions individually for each property inspected.
Termites are very capable of finding the only possible entry point into a structure.
They build earthen shelter tubes to reach the wood from the ground where they live. Termites can infest finished floors covered by vinyl flooring or carpeting, interior walls, and other areas that cannot be seen during a PCOs inspection. Furthermore, research has shown that termites can build tubes at the rate of approximately two and one-half inches per hour. Therefore, it is possible for termites to show up shortly after the structure has been inspected. This is also true when talking about old house borers.