A wood structure shows boring and damage caused by aquatic shipworms.
Licensed pest-control professionals are here to help
Nothing scares a homeowner quite like the word “termites.” While these creatures have inhabited our planet for more than 250 million years, they more recently have become the sworn enemy of building professionals, who now spend more than $2 billion each year in the United States alone dealing with these cellulose-chewing creatures.
But termites are just the tip of the two-by-four when it comes to wood-destroying organisms (WDOs): Several other pests also can destroy wood structures through eating, burrowing, or decomposing behaviors:
- Beetles—Wood-boring beetles lay eggs in wood cracks and holes; the eggs hatch into larvae that eat and tunnel their way out of the wood.
- Wasps, bees, and ants—Some species of these familiar insects tunnel into wood to create nests or to find shelter.
- Decay fungi—While some fungi merely discolor wood, decay fungi thrives in damp environments and decomposes wood fibers, eventually resulting in dry rot.
- Mollusks—Creatures such as oysters and shipworms can damage aquatic wood structures like houseboats, docks, and piers.
PEST-CONTROL LICENSEES AND SERVICES: HERE TO HELP
Professionals licensed by Department of Consumer Affairs’ Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) are trained to help you deal with all types of WDOs, on land or sea. And, as most lending institutions require California homes to be inspected for WDOs prior to financing a home loan, the Board has created a special database so you can find out if a particular property has had a recent WDO inspection.
For more information on SPCB and its licensees’ services for WDOs and much more, visit pestboard.ca.gov; to check a pest-control professional’s license, visit search.dca.ca.gov.
