As you might expect, wood-destroying insects (WDIs) chew through and eat wood. These insects cause homeowners headaches, as well as cash for repairs. They tend to be sneaky, building entire colonies within the walls of your home. Furthermore, they often go unnoticed for years, which means you could be living with them right now. The only way to know which type of WDI you have is to call Inspect360 for an inspection. Here are the three main types of wood-eating pests we find.

1. Termites

When most people think of wood-destroying insects, the first thing to come to mind is a termite. These pesky, wood-tunneling insects do quick work of destroying your support beams, studs, and attic beams. Colonies are so sneaky and can invade your home in a matter of days. They can also live in wood furniture and eat through the trim around your floors. They often tend to have beginnings in your lawn, creating mud tunnels all the way to your home until they find the feast they’re looking for.

2. Carpenter Bees

Often confused for the bumble bee, carpenter bees are large and fuzzy. But unlike their bee cousins, carpenter bees are mostly black with a little patch or strip of yellow. They’re also not as aggressive as the bumble bee, and the males are not capable of stinging you. Instead, they’d much rather chew through your wood floors and beams. However, the work of a carpenter bee is easy to spot. They tend to drill half-inch round holes into windowsills, door frames, eaves, and logs as they search for a nesting spot.

3. Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are one of the largest ant species. They are generally identified by their size and their black, shiny color. However, they can also be brown or reddish in color. While it can be scary to find just one of these giant ants in your home, they generally enjoy large piles of wood or water-damaged logs that can easily be shredded. If you spot a carpenter ant in your home, you likely have thousands more. Colonies of these insects can range from 10,000-50,000 workers.

Don’t Let WDIs Ruin Your Day or Your Home

If you suspect you have a wood-destroying insect in your home, you should listen to that instinct and call Inspect360. Our certified termite and WDI inspectors know all the signs, and where to look for these wood-shredding pests. We proudly serve residents throughout Dallas and Fort Worth, TX. We also offer sprinkler inspections, pool inspections, and sewer scopes. Call us today at (817) 754-0360.