“You need to get a pest inspection before closing” is what many realtors and lenders tell their customers. And it really is a requirement for some home purchase transactions, but the necessary inspection is limited to pests that can destroy the wood structure of a home. Many states have a legally required standard form for the report. In Florida it’s called a Wood Destroying Organism inspection, or WDO for short. South Carolina’s version is named Wood Infestation Report.

    But what all the reports have in common is that they only address wood-destroying pests like termites, certain types of beetles that damage wood, and wood rot fungi. If you want the inspector to also check for all the other pests that can infest a home and make your life miserable—like rats, mice, roaches, bedbugs, and ants—you need specify that before the pest inspection.  

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To learn more about TERMITES, WOOD ROT AND OTHER PESTS see these blog posts:

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

• How do I safely remove a dead rodent (rat, mouse or squirrel) from the attic? 

• Where are the most common places to find wood rot on a house?

• 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? 

• 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? 

• How do termites infest a house and remain hidden while doing major damage?

 • 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?

• What does roach poop (fecal pellets) look like? 

• When do termites swarm in Florida? 

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

• How do termites get into a concrete block house? 

• Do termites eat concrete?

• What is a clean WDO?  

• 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 does a home inspector evaluate wood rot? 

• Does wood rot spread? Is it contagious?

• What do termites eat?

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

• What causes wood rot on a home?

 • 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?

• Why is the inspector calling out rotten wood on my termite inspection? 

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

• I'm buying a concrete block house. Do I still need a termite inspection? 

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

• Is wood rot found on a home inspection considered serious? 

    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.