Termites?

Hi,

I inspected a house today. I found some holes on the exterior wall. I am wondering if it was cause by termites? And it was located in between the soffit and the wall (only one). But I didn’t find any such things in the interior or attic. Please advise how to write it up.

Harriosn

That would be a really big termite…lol

Did you check the interior of the cinder block walls… Just kidding. Looks like they simply exited and then returned through the soffit area via these tubes you are observing. Subterraneans enter to lay eggs then return to the ground where the hatches eat away…
Very destructive.

Is that masonry? If so, definitely not termites. Termites usually leave mud tubes (subterranean) or little 6 sided pellets/frass that look like saw dust but not as fine as sawdust (drywood termites). If you look closely at drywood pellets you can see the indentations. Also, just a fyi, you can’t determine the age of an infestation based on the color of the droppings, if you’ve ever heard that, it’s a myth. The pellets are their poop and are whatever color of the wood they ate. Short of seeing a live termite, there’s no way to tell if what your looking at is old or new damage. I used to be a licensed termite inspector here in California.

Looks like some type of stinging insect nest like a wasp. Does not look like the typical mud dabber nests I see.

Holy crap guys…those are mud dauber nests.

I know dauber is not good for human, but how destructive to the house?

What happened to NACHI’so great termite education?

It surprises me that some of these guys call themselves home inspectors.

The course includes:

  • 64,700 words;
  • 5 minutes of video;
  • 131 photos and diagrams;
  • online writing essay assignment;
  • inspection report writing assignment;
  • required additional reading;
  • 85 quiz questions over 10 quizzes;
  • 100-question final exam (drawn from a larger pool);
  • instant grading;
  • a downloadable, printable Certificate of Completion; and
  • accreditations and state approvals.

Free.

It’s a mud dauber nest or what’s left of it.

And apparently unused, at least by the minions.

C’est la vie.

Dom.

Termite inspection requires a State pest control license here in California.