Yesterday I had the unpleasant job of letting a realtor and my client know that a home that was other wise not too bad, had been destroyed underneath by a secretive and very destructive wood destroying organism. I am speaking of the dreaded anobiid beetle. I have heard people say, "ah, don't worry about them, carpenter ants are the bad one in Washington." While both pests are destructive, the ants tend to give clues that they are around. My clients have found them in their cupboards, walking across the floor and one man even found them in the dishwasher. Most people are grossed out by ants inside and hire a professional to come in and treat for carpenter ants. But the anobiid beetle is never seen, smaller than a grain of rice, and does most of the damage inside the wood. It burrows and eats for 5 to 7 years, exits as an adult (laying eggs that will become larvae) leaving a BB pellet sized hole and the cycle continues almost forever unless something is done about it. Unless major changes have taken place in a crawl space it is pretty safe to assume that the infestation has NOT died out. People ask if you can see them running around. The answer is no, they are not that kind of beetle. In short, the key to naturally getting rid of them is providing better ventilation, controlling plumbing leaks and runoff water, getting a vapor barrier down and, while not a natural treatment, often hiring the services of a chemical applicator. But, without taking the other measures, you have only partially addressed the problem. The conducive conditions must go! Get at the source, don't just treat the symptoms. In case anyone wonders just how serious this infestation can be I have posted photos from structural members of the home. When I say destroyed, I mean the wood is like Styrofoam and crumbles if squeezed by hand in mostlocations. The anobiids were in posts, beams, joists, sill plate, rim joist and sub-floor. I could not see the wall studs. This home did not need a chemical treatment it needed a transfusion of new wood. Is it worth fixing? I guess the seller has to make that decision. It might make more sense to build a new home that was commensurate with the location.
Thanks for looking.
Steven L. Smith
Bellingham WA home inspector
www.kingofthehouse.com
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H there,
Yikes, I've never heard of anything like this before. Better to find out now, than later. Steven, I love reading your stuff, it's always so darn interesting. Thanks!