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. They are prevalent here in the southeastern U.S., where warm temperatures and high humidity create their favored environment.

   Although concrete block construction reduces the amount of wood used in the house structure, there is still plenty of wood concealed in the attic and walls, and extending down to the floor slab for them to munch on. Vertical wood strips, called “furring,” which are installed on the inside surface of the home’s concrete block walls to provide a nailing surface for application of drywall, provide pathways for subterranean termites (the ones that live in the ground, but enter the home daily to feed on the wood) to go from the floor to the ceiling—and the wood roof trusses above that.

  Drywood termites, another species that also thrive in Florida, don’t need a connection from the ground to the lumber in a house in order to begin gnawing away. While not as rapidly destructive as subterraneans, drywoods can enter the home through an attic vent during the Spring swarming season, then begin their wood-digesting activity from the attic, working downward into the walls of the home. They are also harder to detect that their ground-living cousins, which leave telltale vein-like mud tubes between the ground and the house structure.

   Wood decay fungi, commonly called “wood rot,” is another cause of structural deterioration of wood members in a home, particularly in enclosed areas of high humidity or where there is water intrusion in the structure, even in a concrete block home, and is another WDO (Wood-Destroying Organism) that is noted as part of a termite inspection. Evidence of several  varieties of wood-destroying beetles are also looked for as part of the inspection.

   You will likely hear the termite inspection referred to as a “WDO” inspection by people in the real estate and pest control industries. WDO inspections are regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS), and inspectors must be state-licensed and use the DACS-approved form when submitting a report.

   All new homes constructed in Florida are required by the building code to have the ground under the structure treated with a liquid termiticide before construction begins. The treatment provides approximately 8 to 10-years of resistance to termite infestation, but by subterranean termites ONLY. 

   So, the gist of all this is: a termite inspection is always a sensible part of your due-diligence when purchasing a home, even a concrete block one.

    Also, see our blog post How do termites infest a house and remain hidden while doing major damage?

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To learn more about termites, see these other blog posts:

• Should I be worried about termites if my neighbor's house is being tented?

• Is the WDO (termite) inspector allowed to poke holes in my wood siding and trim? 

• Do carpenter ants cause structural damage to houses in Florida?

• How long before closing can you have a WDO (termite) inspection done?

• How long does Bora-Care® last? 

• Why is it a mistake to store lumber in the crawl space under a house?

• Does the presence of carpenter ants in a house indicate that there are probably also termites? 

• Are homes in Florida required to have termite protection? 

• If termite damage appears to be old, does that mean that termites may no longer be present?

• How do I know if my WDO/termite report is "clear"? 

• When do termites swarm in Florida?

• Does a recent termite company inspection sticker mean there are no termites? 

• Can a mobile/manufactured home get termites?

• Do I have to tent the house if I have termites? 

• What is the difference between a subterranean termite and a drywood termite?

• What are the green plastic discs in the ground around the house? 

• What is a termite shield?

• How do termites get into a concrete block house? 

• Do termites eat concrete?

• What is a clean WDO?  

• What do termites eat?

• How do I treat wood rot  that's listed in my termite-WDO report? 

• Do I really need a termite-WDO inspection? 

• What's causing those holes in the fascia?

• Does wood chip mulch in the yard attract termites?

• I think I have termites. What does a termite look like?

• I saw a little termite damage on the baseboard. Should I be concerned?

   Visit our TERMITES, WOOD ROT AND PESTS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.