Termite Inspection in Lakeland, FL

What a WDO Inspection Actually Covers

A WDO inspection looks for visible evidence of wood-destroying organisms, past and present. That covers subterranean termites, drywood termites, wood-boring beetles, and wood-decay fungi. The inspector is looking for live insects, frass, mud tubes, damaged wood, shed wings, and signs of earlier treatment or repairs. What it finds, or does not find, goes on the FDACS-13645 form exactly as observed on that day.

Just as useful is what the form is not. It is not a guarantee that a home has no hidden damage, and it does not cover areas the inspector cannot see or reach, like inside finished walls. An honest inspector will tell you that up front. What the report does give a buyer and a lender is a clear, dated record from a proper inspection of every accessible area.

• Subterranean and drywood termites, live or old evidence
• Wood-boring beetles and wood-decay fungi
• Mud tubes, frass, wings, and probed, damaged wood
• Signs of past treatment, repairs, and conducive conditions

Where We Look in a Lakeland Home

We work the home from the outside in. Outside means the full foundation line, siding, eaves, window and door frames, wood decks, fences touching the house, and any wood stacked against it. Garages get a close look because the walls are often unfinished and the slab edge is exposed, which makes mud tubes easy to spot there first. Inside, we check baseboards, closets, under sinks, around tubs and water heaters, and the attic for frass, tubes, and damaged trusses or sheathing.

Moisture gets special attention in Florida. A slow plumbing leak or a roof leak does two jobs at once: it softens wood so fungi can take hold, and it gives subterranean termites the damp conditions they want. Around Lakeland lakes and in older neighborhoods, homes that have had water issues deserve an extra careful pass, and we take it.

Buying, Selling, or Refinancing in Polk County

If you are buying, the inspection protects you from inheriting a repair bill nobody mentioned. Termite damage in a Lakeland home can range from a single soft baseboard to studs and flooring that need real work, and you want to know which one it is before you sign. If you are selling, getting the inspection done early gives you time to treat a problem or fix a small issue on your own schedule instead of under closing pressure.

Agents across Polk County know the drill: the report has to be on the right form, completed properly, and delivered in time. We keep the process simple. Book the visit, give us access details, and we handle the rest, then send the completed FDACS-13645 to whoever needs it. If we do find active termites, we can quote the treatment too, but there is no pressure to use us for that part.

Homeowner Inspections Outside a Sale

You do not need a real estate deal to justify an inspection. Plenty of Lakeland homeowners call because they found wings on a sill, pellets under a window, or a soft spot in a door frame and want a straight answer. A homeowner inspection covers the same ground as a WDO visit. The only difference is the paperwork: instead of the state form, you get our findings and recommendations directly.

Yearly checks make sense in Central Florida even when nothing looks wrong. Colonies work quietly, and the cheapest termite problem is always the one caught in its first year. If your home has never been inspected, or it has been several years, that alone is reason enough to book one.