What does a termite inspection entail?

A termite inspection is a visual inspection of the readily accessible areas of a home for evidence of wood-destroying insects (WDI) and wood-destroying organisms (WDO). The inspector will visually inspect the entire interior of a home (including accessing and entering any sub-space such as basements and crawlspaces) and exterior of the property. In areas where Drywood termites are prevalent, and in houses where there are no sub-areas, the attic may also be accessed and inspected.

What do termites look like?

Subterranean termite colonies consist of three different castes–reproductives, workers and soldiers. All of the Subterranean termites are generally creamy white in appearance and are translucent, looking very much in size, shape and color as a grain of rice. The reproductives, or “swarmers,” have a pair of even-sized wings and are often mistaken for flying ants. The workers look similar to the “swarmers,” only they are a little smaller and do not have wings. The soldiers are also similar except for their oversized heads and large, crushing mandibles.

What is the difference between carpenter ants and termites?

There are a number of differences between carpenter ants and termites. The body shape of a carpenter ant is like an hourglass–it narrows between the abdomen in the rear and the thorax in the front. The body of a termite is more cigar-shaped without the narrowing between the front and back halves of the body. When wings are present, carpenter ants have larger wings in the front and smaller wings in the back, whereas termite “swarmers” have relatively equal-sized wings. Carpenter ant wings are less “veiny” than termite wings. Also, ant wings have a stigma (dark spot) on the leading edge of the front wing, and termite wings do not.