Hearth and Homes Inspections, LLC

 Wood Destroying Insect inspections, more commonly known as termite inspections are used to find termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees and reinfesting wood boring beetles.

Subterranean termites are the most common type of termites found in the United States. Native termites in the genus Reticulitermes are the most widespread, and these are the most prevalent termites encountered in Ohio.

Termites start a colony by the process known as swarming. Swarming occurs in mature colonies that typically have at least several thousand termites. In Ohio, swarming usually takes place in the spring, however, swarms can take place indoors, especially in heated structures, during the winter and throughout the year.

Wood destroying insects have been known to cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage to structures without their presence ever being known. They are also known to travel up to

Carpenter ants are named that because they excavate the wood to create nest sites. Depending on their species, carpenter ants may be black, red, brown, tan, yellow or a combination of the above colors. Carpenter ants are among the largest ants found in the United States, with some being as long as one half inch.

A mature black carpenter ant colony typically contains more than 3,000 workers, large colonies contain up to 15,000 individuals.

Some workers may travel up to 100 feet moving from a tree to a house looking for food.  

Carpenter bees are named because they excavate the wood to create nests. Carpenter bees somewhat resemble bumble bees, except bumble bees have dense yellow hairs on their abdomen and large pollen baskets on their hind legs.

Carpenter bees are solitary insects that do not form colonies.