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termites: Conditions Conducive to Rot or Infestation - 08/20/11 08:40 PM
Some years back, in Washington state, the Washington State Department of Agriculture began using the term "conducive condition." It is not a term that, right out of the box, makes sense to people. However, it makes perfect sense once you get the point. A conducive condition is any concern or issue that is likely to lead to rot or infestation by wood destroying insects.
Over the years, clients and homeowners, have asked me for a list of things they can do to make it less likely that their homes will rot or be inhabited by carpenter ants, anobiid beetles, termites and … (18 comments)
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termites: I Captured The Bug Guy -- A Tale of Bellingham Home Inspection - 11/13/10 10:53 PM
Well, I captured the bug guy in my digital camera at least. I have been doing, the last few months, a number of videos that deal with wood destroying organisms including wood destroying insects. In those I have been missing something -- a photo of a state licensed applicator ready to do a pest control treatment.
Somebody was smiling down on me the other day. I was at an inspection and here came the pest control applicator to do a perimeter treatment for carpenter ants at the home. I asked permission to take his photo and he said sure. From this point … (4 comments)
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termites: See Them, Hear Them Chewing -- Multi-Media Termite Show - 02/15/09 09:55 AM
Subterranean termites: This is not a species of insect you want in your home. Granted, in the long haul they are a necessary part of nature -- turning wood back into compost. However, most of us would prefer it if they did not do that with the lumber in our homes. They can go chew on an old tree when they get hungry. This post consists of photos and sound effects. The material is from the USDA and various universities. In my home state, Washington, we have this great agricultural-oriented university, Washington State University. This school has top scientists who are leaders … (35 comments)
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termites: A Termite Manifesto: The Stranger Among Us - 02/26/08 11:25 AM
In the Pacific Northwest, practically speaking, we have two types of termites to look out for on inspections. And, if you are in the Bellingham area, despite the propaganda you might hear to the contrary-- Yes, we too have termites!
The first, and uncommon in most parts of the country, is the Pacific Dampwood termite. Here in the northwest we see this insect fairly often. This guy, and the gals, are attracted to very moist, often decaying, wood. They are a secondary problem in that wood is way too wet to begin with if they find it appealing, so you have … (6 comments)
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termites: Big, Mean, Nasty Termites: At Least They Are Not In Your House - 02/11/08 10:34 PM
As a home inspector, who also teaches a class in wood destroying organisms through the state college system in Washington State, I always take a camera along with me on hikes or vacations. I have some cool, and very illustrative, photos that I have taken of all kinds of wood problems, like classic cubical brown rot on wood in the famous city of Pompeii or wood that is in good shape and nearly 1000 years old from Bologna. However, I think that the one time I was really happy to have my camera was in the Yucatan of Mexico a few … (5 comments)
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termites: Whatcom County Home Inspections (King of the House): Drywood Termites - 10/24/07 05:20 PM
Well, the photo below is something I have yet to run into doing inspections. In fact, many inspectors in this state, probably most, have never seen the pest below -- in action at least. Now, most of us have seen some species of this world-class house-wrecker. But this particular termite species is rare in the state of Washington, to the point that WSDA does not consider it to be an established pest. What menace am I speaking of? And why am I speaking of it now? Well, a friend of mine who is a busy Seattle home inspector (Charles Buell Inspections) … (10 comments)
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Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector
Bellingham,
WA
More about me…
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc
Address: Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, Nooksack, Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Whatcom County, Bellingham, WA, 98225
Office Phone: (360) 676-6908
Cell Phone: (360) 319-0038
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