Complete Home and Commercial Inspection Services

TERMITES: The Eastern subterranean termite is the most common and widely distributed termite in the US, commonly found in all eastern states. Our Tri-state area is considered a high-risk area for termites.

Termites construct airtight mud tunnels when they must leave the soil to get to a food source. These mud tunnels are thin (about the size of a cocktail straw). The mud tunnels will be attached to concrete or concrete block walls, over and around metal termite barriers, plastic, etc. They can construct these mud tunnels as free-standing structures from the ground to a wood food source.

In nature, subterranean termites are closely associated with the soil habitat where they tunnel to locate water and food. Termites excavate galleries throughout their food as they consume it. They conceal their workings and can completely honeycomb wood by feeding along the grain and following the softer spring wood, leaving little more than a thin wooden exterior.

Nationwide, treatment and prevention of subterranean termite infestations costs approximately $2 billion per year.

CARPENTER ANTS: The black carpenter ant is a common invader of homes in the northeastern US. In their natural habitat, carpenter ants aid in the decomposition of dead, decaying trees. They normally nest in logs, stumps, and hollow trees. However, the large, dark-colored workers often invade homes in search of food. These ants seldom tunnel into dry, sound wood, but they may excavate moist, rotting wood and other soft materials (such as foamed plastic insulation board) to make satellite nests. Homes built in wooded areas are especially subject to infestation.

Carpenter ants do not eat wood but instead construct their nests in wood such as hollow trees, stumps, logs, posts, landscaping timbers, and the lumber used in homes and other structures. Nests are made by chewing an interconnecting series of tunnels and cavities. Wood is removed as coarse sawdust-like material that is pushed from the nest.

CARPENTER BEES:  During the spring, people often notice large, black bees hovering around the outside of their homes. These are likely to be carpenter bees, named for their habit of excavating holes in wood, in order to rear their young. Carpenter bees prefer unpainted, weathered wood, especially softer varieties such as redwood, cedar, cypress and pine. Painted or pressure-treated wood is much less susceptible to attack. Common carpenter bee nesting sites include eaves, rafters, fascia boards, siding, wooden shake roofs, decks and outdoor furniture.  The entrance hole in the wood surface is perfectly round and about the diameter of your little finger. Coarse sawdust may be present below the opening.

Carpenter bees resemble bumblebees, but typically have a shiny, hairless abdomen. (Bumblebees usually have a hairy abdomen with black and yellow stripes.) The bees also have different nesting habits—bumblebees nest in an existing cavity often underground (e.g., in abandoned rodent burrows), whereas carpenter bees tunnel into wood to lay their eggs. 

The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. If your house has a radon problem, you can take steps to fix it to protect yourself and your family.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is a known carcinogen. Elevated radon levels in the home are the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. That is the reason so many buyers and home owners want to know the levels in their homes. Elevated radon levels are easily mitigated and brought down to safe levels. There is no such thing as a home with a “zero” radon level.

Radon gas comes from the decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. Radon gas is colorless, odorless, and without taste. The presence of radon in a home cannot be detected by human senses. The only way to know if your home contains radon gas is to test. The EPA recommends that homes with high Radon concentration above 4 pCi/L be mitigated. There are many straight-forward reduction techniques that will work in almost any home.

You cannot predict radon levels based on state, local, and neighborhood radon measurements. Do not rely on radon test results taken in other homes in the neighborhood to estimate the radon level in your home. Homes which are next to each other can have different radon levels. Testing is the only way to find out your home’s radon level.