What does 8B Really Mean?

Here is what it says on the W.D.I.I.R. (termite report):

8B "No visible evidence of infestation from wood-destroying insects was observed."

Let's break it down.

Visible - This is what the termite inspector can see.

Evidence - This list consists of, but not limited to:  tubes, tube stains, fecal pellets, termites, etc.

Wood-Destroying Insects - Subterranean termites, drywood termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood-destroying beetles.

When you see 8B on the report it means that no visible evidence of wood-destroying insects was noted at the time of inspection.

The key word is visible.  Here is a partial list of areas that can't be seen:  below carpet, tile, stone, wood floors, below throw rugs, in walls, behind paneling, wall paper, behind pictures, in the attic (below insulation, behind mechanical equipment, around pipes, around wiring, around conduits, or stored items in attic), in crawl spaces (below insulation, behind mechanical equipment, around pipes, around wiring, around conduits, or stored items in crawl space), under stairs, behind storage, personal items, furniture, parked cars in garage.  There are literally tons of areas that can't be effectively inspected.

When you read the report and 8B is marked, don't fall into a common misconception that "I have no termites".  This is not always the case.  It just means when the inspection was done "no visible evidence of Wood-Destroying Insects was observed" at the time of inspection.

The following statement is on the termite report.  The Statement of Purchaser, page 1, right above the Signature line of the purchaser.   I understand that this is not a structural damage fungi/mold report, or a warranty as to the absence of wood-destroying insects.

Plain and Simple, 8B does not mean there are no termites in the home.  It means that the inspector could not see termites at the time of inspection.

Question From The Field

Question:

How come you don't put the buyer's name on the termite report?  After all, they pay you to do the report.

Answer:

The simple answer is:  there is no place for the buyer's name on the report.  If you look at section 5A (Name of Property Owner/Seller) the form doesn't ask for the buyers name.  Termite Inspectors simply fill out the pre-printed report.  If we put the buyers name there, we would be in violation of submitting an inaccurate W.D.I.I.R. (termite report)

Excessive Moisture - The Most Misleading Call On The Report

The title says it all!  It gives the impression that water is coming through the roof or the house is flooded.

Let's take a simple water stain under the sink, a very common situation.  A termite inspector sees this and has to call EM/WS.  Translated it is Excessive Moisture/Water Stain. 
You are probably asking why call a stain Excessive Moisture?  Excessive Moisture is the category title.  So when you want to call a water stain, you automatically get the Excessive Moisture.
It is like when you buy a vehicle, say a F150 truck or a Mustang.  The official title of the vehicle is Ford F150 or Ford Mustang.  You don't get one without the other.

The category of Excessive Moisture has several different calls in it; water stains, water damage, plumbing leak, roof leak, standing water (definitely an excessive moisture call), etc.  Unfortunately we have to live with the wording.  The report structure and wording is set up by the OPM (Office of Pest Management).  What we can do is try to describe the calls a little bit more in detail.  For example, with the EM/WS above, we can put on the report that the water stain was "dry at the time of inspection".  Another phrase we frequently use for exterior calls is:  "this is a common call for this area".  These additional words seem to help readers (especially lender/banks/etc) understand that a lot of the excessive moisture calls are fairly routine calls.  We regularly include pictures of the calls in the report.  Not for every call, but a sample of the calls.  So when a lender sees EM/WS on the report, further in the report he/she will see a picture of the call.

Below are a few photo and video examples of Excessive Moisture/Water Stains.