Homeowner Information	Read a complete article from San Francisco Examiner Real Estate section about inspecting a house. Steps that homeowners can take to deter termites and prevent other problems. Pest Inspections A Northwest Termite inspection begins outside, where we look for active infestations of wood destroying organisms and conducive conditions like leaky gutters and plants or wood piles right next to the house. Decks, fences and other wood structures attached to the house without flashing also can be problem areas.         more info
Northwest termite will never charge the home owner if they feel they have a termite or pest problem--even if you don't use us. However, if you are buying or selling a home, Northwest will perform real estate pest inspections and home inspections in Sonoma and Lake Counties at a cost. In California a structural pest control inspection is commonly made when a home or other structure is sold because the lending agency involved often requires one. When a formal offer is submitted to a seller most realtors use a pest report as a negotiating tool. Northwest Termite pest inspections will usually begin outside the perimeter of the home checking for conducive conditions that will attract termites and other wood-destroying organisms.
Conducive Conditions Leading to Damage
Conditions that may lead to infestations of wood-destroying organisms are pictured below. Old wood piles near the house, stumps, and cracks in foundation walls are the main attractions to these insects. We also look for earth-to-wood contact, plumbing leaks and fences attached directly to buildings that could harbor pests
Conducive Conditions
New Construction Problems

Inside, we check for loose toilets and other plumbing leaks that can cause dry rot or attract termites. We pull back carpets to detect damage near sliding glass doors leading to decks. We look for water stains on the ceiling, excessive weathering of wood, and condensation around windows. If there is a tile shower, we will run the water for 10 minutes, then look under the house for leaks. While under the house, we also look for dry rot and excessive moisture.

Inspectors also look for telltale termite signs such as mud tubes along the foundation or piles of woody-looking fecal pellets. They also look for piles of discarded wings, a sign that the termites have been through the swarming stage, when the kings and queens fly from their old colonies to start new ones.

People may even notice the insects fluttering around in the fall when the rains start, and again in the spring.

We may also use a pick-and-pry technique to see if wood is sound. Undamaged wood will splinter, damaged wood will break off in chunks.

Finally, we prepare a complete report that details the problems, and then we discuss all of the solutions available to you.

Termites, tiny insects less than one-fourth inch long, are responsible for billions of dollars of damage to the nation's homes and other buildings every year. They are a major problem in the Bay Area, where both the subterranean and drywood varieties thrive.

Subterranean termites nest in underground colonies and feed on dead tree roots and old, damp wood. If that damp wood happens to be part of a house, they feed on that, too, sometimes building mud tubes to carry food from the source to the colony. Drywood termites tend to be airborne colonies that look for unpainted or unstained wood. "They just fly into your house and start eating," said David Roe, owner of Leading Edge Termite Treatment in Pleasant Hill.

Because termites do their dirty work under the house, in walls and in other areas that aren't readily seen, most homeowners don't realize they have them. They may not become aware of the problem until they decide to sell their house and a termite inspection is conducted. Repairing the damage done by termites and other wood-destroying organisms like fungi and certain types of beetles could cost anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.

Denis LeBreton, Oakland service center manager for Western Exterminator Co., said he recently found more than $20,000 worth of damage in a home. He finds damage in about 25 percent of all homes he inspects. That figure rises to about 50 percent in homes that are more than 20 years old and that haven't had a recent inspection, he said.

Bill Mashek, an owner of Northwest Termite Inc. in Santa Rosa, begins his inspections outside, where he looks for potential problems like leaky gutters and plants or wood piles right next to the house. Decks, fences and other wood structures attached to the house without flashing also can be problem areas.

Inside, he checks for loose toilets and plumbing leaks that can cause dry rot or attract termites. He pulls back the carpet to detect damage near a sliding glass door leading to a deck. He looks for water stains on the ceiling, excessive weathering of wood, condensation around windows.

If there's a tile shower, he runs the water for 10 minutes, then looks under the house for leaks. While under the house, he also looks for dry rot and excessive moisture.

Inspectors also look for telltale termite signs such as mud tubes along the foundation or piles of woody-looking fecal pellets. Sometimes they will see piles of discarded wings, a sign that the termites have been through the swarming stage, when the kings and queens fly from their old colonies to start new ones.

People may even notice the insects fluttering in the fall when the rains start, and again in the spring. David Minder, regional technical manager for Terminex International, said he uses a pick-and-pry method to see if wood is sound. Undamaged wood will splinter, while damaged wood breaks off in chunks. He also taps the wood and listens for solid or hollow sounds, but this isn't always a reliable test because knot holes will sound hollow.

There is an array of treatment options for termites and other wood destroying organisms. Some are more effective than others, and several techniques are environmentally friendly.

Subterranean termites are usually eradicated by removing the infested wood and building a chemical barrier around the structure. Usually this barrier is a trench filled with a mix of dirt and an insecticide that repels the termites. A newer alternative to barriers is Sentricon, a monitoring device. Wood stakes are placed around the house to attract and detect termites. If they show up, the wood stakes are replaced with tubes treated with a bait that prevents molting, leading to the termites' death a few days or weeks later.

Perhaps the most recognizable option for exterminating a widespread infestation of drywood termites or wood-boring beetles is fumigation. Exterminators completely cover the area to be treated and a highly toxic gas -- usually sulfuryl fluoride (brand name Viakane) or methyl bromate -- is released. Fumigation kills the termites, but it doesn't prevent future infestation. It's also inconvenient because all people, pets and plants must leave the property for several days. All medicines and food not sealed in unopened metal or glass containers must be removed from the house or double bagged in nylon polymer bags provided by the exterminator. Some exterior work also may be required to accommodate the tent.

Other drywood termite treatments include heat, cold, microwaves and electrocution. All of these methods are used for local treatments, but heat can be used for an entire structure. Like fumigation, heat requires tenting the house. In this case, though, the interior is heated with hot air blown in from propane burners.

Cold treatment involves pumping liquid nitrogen into the infested area, thus freezing the insects. Microwave treatment is focused on the infested area, heating both the wood and the insects to lethal levels. Electrocution, delivered through the Electrogun, uses high-voltage, low-amperage electricity to kill termites.

Properly administered, these nontoxic methods are generally effective. According to tests conducted by Vernard R. Lewis of the UC-Berkeley Department of Environmental Sciences and Michael I. Haverty of the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station in Berkeley, all of them produced 90 percent or greater mortality up to four weeks after treatment.

However, "the consumer needs to understand that a local treatment is precisely that" said Donna Kingwell, executive officer of the Structural Pest Control Board, a state regulatory agency.

Treating one area doesn't necessarily mean that there are no more termites elsewhere. Pest control operators are responsible only for areas that are "visible and accessible," she said. Some operators use a combination of methods. Northwest Termite's Mashek, for example, said he uses both microwaves and the Electrogun on about 80 percent of the houses he treats. He also uses Bioblast, a microbial termiticide. As a backup, he applies borate to exposed wood. An advantage of borate, often sold under the brand name Timbor, is that it permanently prevents further infestations, said Roe of Leading Edge. His company also uses Power Plant, a 100 percent orange oil "that's an instant killer" of termites, he said.

Roe charges anywhere from $150 to $425 for a termite inspection, depending on the location and size of the house. Mashek estimates that local treatment of a small area costs anywhere from $650 to $2,000. Fumigating a three-bedroom house could cost $1,800 to $2,200, he said.

All of the experts recommend that homeowners have termite inspections on their houses every two to five years even if they don't plan to sell. Look at the inspection as preventive maintenance, they say. It's easier and less expensive to repair minor damage than it is to wait a long time and suffer more serious, more expensive damage.

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How to make pests persona non grata

Bay Area pest control operators recommend a number of steps that homeowners can take to deter termites and prevent other problems. They include:

Keep stucco at least 6 inches above the grade.

Don't allow non-pressure-treated wood to touch the ground.

Correct any drainage problems that might result in moisture under the house. Install a sump pump if necessary.

Make sure the substructure is well ventilated.

Repair all leaks immediately.

keep wood piles at least 6 feet away from the house.

Caulk exterior cracks.

Keep up with needed painting.

Treat decks with an oil-based stain.

Vent clothes dryers to the outside and install exhaust fans in bathrooms.