Carpenter Ants: Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood;
they nest in it and tunnel through it. A sign of these nasty creatures are little piles of
sawdust beneath exposed wood.
Powder-Post Beetles: An inspector will use a sharp implement to test beams, floor joists,
rafters and sill plates for signs of these beetles. Small piles of sawdust and small ¼" to ½"
holes are tell-tale signs of these pests.
Any insect can cause damage to the deal, even if they have not harmed the house structurally.
A few days after I listed my parent's ranch house, my father happened to mention that he had found
a few dead bees in the laundry room. I did not think anything of it, after all, he had not found
termites. Besides, the bees were dead. During the first broker's open, one of the agents asked if
there was a "bee problem". That got my attention and I took a closer look around, both inside and
out.
If Alfred Hitchcock had been around he would have titled the movie, "The Bees." Thousands of bees had made their
home between the brick and the masonry right outside of the laundry room. Their scout must have noticed the small
opening underneath the dryer vent and had reported back his findings to the entire hive. Actually, I think he must
have alerted all of the hives in northern Illinois.
We got an exterminator out who massacred the colony and my father sealed up the apian doorway.
We did not have to disclose the incident. Since the problem was resolved, there was no longer a problem,
so nothing needed to be noted in the disclosures.
WHAT TO DO: If your contract is contingent on your house being free from infestation,
you will have to make sure it is in order to keep the deal. Otherwise, the structure
must be safe and conform to the "operating condition" standard. If, for example, the floor
joists are so weakened that they will not support the code mandated loadings, they should be
repaired.
The next installment in this series is Wood Termites, to be followed by articles on other types of
insects and pests and what to do if your house has them.
Mouse Control: Keeping Mice Out
Inspection ABC's,
Disclosures
Contingencies
