Wood Infestation Report (WIR)
Buying a home is the largest single investment for the average Canadian family today. Rising costs of labor and materials make it imperative to protect your investment from structural damage by wood-destroying organisms, especially the carpenter ants. Carpenter ants are among the most costly of all the insect pests affecting structures. The best way to help ensure protection of your home is to have a Carpenter Ant control treatment by a licensed pest management professional. A Wood Infestation Report is a report of visible infestation and damage caused by insects and decay in accessible areas of the structure at the time of the inspection.
Carpenter Ant Damage and Infestations.
Carpenter ants are capable of damaging any wood within which they nest. Carpenter ant infestation can become severe when left untreated, and, in some cases, a colony of carpenter ants can develop satellite nests. Carpenter ants rarely nest in dry wood. Indoor infestations can be tracked by points of entry such as attic vents, foundations, cracks, electric wires, pipes and telephone lines. Carpenter ants prefer to nest in structural lumber such as in wall voids, hollow doors, windows and foam panels. Carpenter ants typically seek wood that has been softened by moisture, decay or other insects.
Infestation Signs.
The most obvious sign of carpenter ant infestation is the presence of workers inside a building or home. However, the presence of ants is not conclusive evidence that a carpenter ant colony has established its nest within a structure. Carpenter ants forage for food within great distances of their nests.
When a carpenter ant infestation is severe, piles of wood shavings can usually be found beneath wooden items. Carpenter ants burrow into wood to create their nests, and an infestation can also be detected by faint rustling noises inside woodwork or walls. Furthermore, when large winged ants emerge from ceilings, walls and other hidden crevices, an infestation is almost certain. Carpenter ants gain no nutritional value from wood; rather, they damage it to make nests. An infestation of carpenter ants can be distinguished from a termite infestation by examining the damaged wood. Carpenter ants clean and polish their galleries of wood so that they appear smooth inside. Carpenter ant galleries also have holes through which worker ants eject unwanted debris. While the surface of wood may appear undamaged, carpenter ant galleries can be identified by these telltale window holes. There is often a pile of wood shavings, debris, dead insects and other debris outside nest openings. The shavings resemble the scraps produced from sharpening a pencil and are different shapes and sizes.
Carpenter ant nests may cause significant damage over a period of years. As the number of individuals inside a colony grows, they continue to expand through the wood, which causes further damage.
How Your Home is Protected Against Wood-Destroying Organisms.
▪ If there is a widespread and accessible infestation (or if removal and replacement is not desirable or practical), chemical treatment is warranted. Thoroughly apply a surface treatment with an appropriately labeled pesticide. Be aware that surface treatments work by interrupting the cycle of re-infestation, rather than immediately killing the insects that are already in the wood. Therefore, it can take several weeks (even up to the complete lifecycle of the pest) to be effective.
▪ Fumigation is appropriate when the infestation has spread to inaccessible areas, when the infestation is so large that the potential for further damage is unacceptable, or when immediate control is the only acceptable option.
Physical control
- Clear away any decaying or infested wood from around buildings.
- Remove firewood from inside buildings and away from the sides of buildings.
- Do not bury stumps or other wood debris close to your house.
- Pay attention to the state of landscaping props (like decorative bark, retaining walls, and driftwood).
- Correct humidity problems in your home.
- Replace decaying or infested structural wood with sound material.
- Remove food sources to discourage ants from invading buildings.
- Keep food in sealed containers and regularly sweep up all crumbs and other food fragments.
- Keep your home clean to prevent re-infestation.
Wood Infestation Reports
A Wood Infestation Report is a report of visible infestation and damage caused by insects and decay in accessible areas of the structure at the time of the inspection. Hidden or inaccessible areas are not inspected. The inspection for fungi, decay damage, and excessive moisture conditions is limited to those parts of the structure that are below the level of the first main floor. This primarily means those parts of the wooden substructure that are visible and accessible from the crawlspace or basement, but it also includes areas such as the bottoms of door jambs, the lower edges of siding, and similar locations. It does not include the window sills, soffits, or any portion of the structure higher than the level of the first main floor. The Wood Infestation Report is sometimes inappropriately referred to as a “clearance letter”. It is not a “clearance letter” in that it does not necessarily “clear” a structure. As noted before, the Wood Infestation Report is used to report the presence or apparent absence of any wood-destroying organisms, or their damage at the time of the inspection. Please understand that the WIR is not a structural damage report. It is simply a description of any visible activity or damage made by wood-destroying organisms. A qualified building expert should be consulted to determine the extent of the damage and whether repairs are necessary.
