We charge $95 for a termite inspection when done a the same time as a home inspection. The State of Florida regulates the inspection of homes for termites and other Wood Destroying Organisms (referred to by the acronym WDO by pest control operators).

    The inspection itself is called a “WDO” and is completed on a separate, state-mandated, two page form. The other wood-destroying organisms that are part of the inspection are wood-rot fungi and several types of wood-destroying beetles.

    There are two types of termites in Florida: subterranean and drywood. Subterraneans live in the ground, but enter the home through mud tubes, which resemble "dirt veins," that run up walls or through cracks in a floor slab.

    Because subterranean termites are moisture-dependent, and dry-out quickly and die in open air, they must have a source of water in the ground and use the tubes to maintain a necessary moist environment. As a result, you will likely never see a live termite unless you nudge open a mud tube or probe into wood they are currently eating.

    And, if you do see them, termites are not what you might expect. They resemble very tiny, fat, white ants—definitely not formidable looking.

Termites cause an estimated $11-billion in damage to wood structures every year in the United States, which exceeds even the annual damage caused by house fires. The warm temperatures and high humidity in Florida create their ideal environment.

    The exception to their invisibility is the spring time swarming of winged young queens and their attendants, seaching for new wood to infest, usually around April.

    Drywoods are the second type of termite, and they require no connection to the ground or water source. They live in the wood and in "cartons" built in wall cavities. Drywood termites typically take longer to establish a colony and are not as voracious as subterraneans. We look for evidence of the presence of both types of termites during our normal WDO inspection.