Could Creepy Crawlies Ruin Your Home Sale?

Selling your home? Perhaps you’ve touched up the paint, decluttered every room, and spruced up the curb appeal, but have you thought about pests? Too many times, pest inspections aren’t done during home occupancy. Sellers will have it looked at right before putting it on the market or worse, have it brought to their attention by the home inspector. By that time, pests, especially wood eating insects may have wrought considerable damage.

Having an infestation can actually prevent your buyer from obtaining a loan. New home pest inspections are required for some mortgages. VA and FHA require a WDI Report (Wood Destorying Insect Report) before approving a home loan. Kenny Hermenegildo, General Manager of Pest Pros in Pocasset, sees many home owners rushing to have infestations taken care of in order to close a sale. “We get called in a lot of times during a home sale. Either people put these things off until they have to satisfy a buyer or it never occurred to them because they weren’t looking for it. It took a home inspector to make them aware of it,” said Hermenegildo.

Leaving it until the last minute can be dangerous for your home and delay the sale. Wood destroying insects are subterranean animals living within the wood they are invading. They often aren’t visible to you, but within the walls they’re busy creating nests, tunnels, and causing costly damage to your property. Because of their secrecy, the damage isn’t usually discovered until it’s extensive which is why regular inspections are very important.

The most dangerous of wood destroying insects are termites. The wood they feed on is almost always structural. “The wood that they start with is at ground level. The wood they always start feeding on is structural like beams on the house,” said Hermenegildo.

Termites are tricky to find. There’s only two way to do it: finding the small mud tubes or termite swarms. A couple of times a season, big winged insects will swarm around an infected area. Pest Pros see many clients who never see these swarms due to the seasonal nature of home occupation on Cape Cod. “For Cape Codders especially, swarms only show off a few times a year for a couple of days. It’s easy to miss if you aren’t there all the time,” said Hermenegildo.

Other wood destroying insects that would be reported on the WDI Report include Carpenter Ants, Powder Post Beetles, and Carpenter Bees. You might see Carpenter Ants around your home looking for a place to nest. Powder Post Beetles are rarely seen. The only evidence are pin point holes in the wall.

Prevention is possible. Make sure any water damaged wood in your home is replaced. Ensure any wood used in your home or property has been stained or painted. Avoid the use of old wood such as reclaimed or barn wood in your home. 

To ensure that you catch wood destroying insects before the damage to your home becomes too costly, routine inspections are a must. Pest Pros in Pocasset offer free inspections on Cape Cod and the South Shore. Put your mind at ease and call Pest Pros for a free pest inspection today.

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About Rebecca Romo

Rebecca Romo hosts Feel Good Mornings weekday mornings from 6-10 am on 99.9 The Q. Originally from New Orleans, she moved to Cape to be with her husband a second generation Cape Codder.



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