King of the House Home Inspection's Pacific Northwest Wood Destroying Organism (WDO)

Identify this insect (about 1/8" long)? It damaged the wood shown in #2 immediately below.
1. Carpenter ant
2. Moisture ant
3. Harvester ant
4. Thatching ant
What is the remedy for this infestation?
1. Wood replacement and elimination of all conducive conditions
2. Application of an approved chemical by a licensed pest control operator
3. Environmentally safe insect traps
4. Chlordane treatment
Can you identify the insect that left a 1/4" exit hole of this shape in a live tree?
1. Anobiid beetle
2. Pacific dampwood termite
3. Lyctid beetle
4. Buprestid beetle
What damaged this wood?
1. Sapstain fungi
2. Wood decay fungi (cubical brown rot)
3. White rot
4. Carpenter ants
This small accumulation of shavings was found on top of a bathroom cabinet at a house located in the woods. It consisted of finely shaved sawdust and a few insect body parts. Which WDO created this frass?
1. Western subterranean termites
2. Pacific dampwood termites
3. Teredo
4. Carpenter ants
Identify this specimen (about 1-1/2" long)
1. Anobiid larvae
2. Cerambycid larvae
3. Buprestid larvae
4. Pine beetle larvae
Which statement, referring to the larvae in #6 above, is most accurate?
1. This insect is attracted to kiln dried lumber
2. This insect does not reinfest
3. This insect does reinfest
4. This insect is attracted to crawl space lumber
This winged insect (about 1" long) is a
1. Carpenter ant winged reproductive
2. Pacific dampwood termite alate
3. Moisture ant winged reproductive
4. Drywood termite alate
This winged insect (about 1" long) is a
1. Carpenter ant winged reproductive
2. Pacific dampwood termite alate
3. Carpenter bee
4. Western subterranean termite alate
These 1/4" exit holes (which can be larger for some species of this insect) were made by a
1. Lyctid beetle
2. Cerambycid beetle
3. Pacific dampwood termite alate
4. Thatching ant winged reproductive
This winged insect (about 3/8" long) is a
1. Western subterranean termite alate
2. Carpenter ant winged reproductive
3. Pacific dampwood termite alate
4. Thatching ant winged reproductive
Identify the WDO that damaged this wood?
1. Carpenter ants
2. Moisture ants
3. Pacific dampwood termites
4. Western subterranean termites
Which WDO damaged this wood?
1. Carpenter ants
2. Moisture ants
3. Pacific dampwood termites
4. Western subterranean termites
The shot-sized holes in this lumber are typical exit holes from which WDO?
1. Buprestid beetle
2. Lyctid beetle
3. Anobiid beetle
4. Drywood termite
What is this insect?
1. Harvester ant
2. Moisture ant
3. Termite
4. Carpenter ant
Identify the specimen (which grows up to about 2-1/2" long)
1. Cerambycid beetle larvae
2. Golden burprestid beetle larvae
3. Anobiid beetle larvae
4. Subterranean termite larvae
This insect (just over 1/4" long) is best identified as
1. Carpenter ant
2. Drywood termite
3. Fire ant
4. Not a carpenter ant
How would you describe this wood?
1. Dry rot present
2. Sound lumber
3. White rot present
4. Brown rot present
This is the most often seen carpenter ant in Washington State. What is it called?
1. Camponotus Modoc
2. Insectus Camponotus
3. Humanous Herbis Carnivorous
4. Camponotus Vicinus
The damage to this cellulose-based hardboard siding is the result of which WDO?
1. Pacific dampwood termites
2. Subterranean ants
3. Drywood termites
4. Western subterranean termites
Which statement is TRUE of the WDO identified in #20 above?
1. It lives in the structural lumber, not the soil
2. Chemicals are never required to control an infestation
3. The species is reinfesting
4. The species is not reinfesting
The crawl space has excess moisture and no ventilation. The subfloor is crumbling and it discharges a fine, gritty frass when it is sounded. After carefully looking at the visible clues, it is obviously an infestation of
1. Powderpost beetles
2. Anobiid beetles
3. Pacific dampwood termites
4. Lyctid beetles
What is pictured in this photo?
1. Western subterranean termite mud shelter tubes
2. Pacific dampwood termite mud shelter tubes
3. Moisture ant gallery
4. Drywood termite gallery
How would you best describe this debris?
1. Evidence of carpenter ants at work
2. Dampwood termite frass
3. Shop sweepings and debris of no concern
4. Moisture ant frass
How would you best describe this debris?
1. Evidence of carpenter ants at work
2. Dampwood termite frass
3. Shop sweepings and debris of no concern
4. Sawdust from moisture ants
This oak floor has a number of pinhead-sized holes. This is an infestation of
1. Anobiid beetles
2. Deathwatch beetles
3. Cerambycid beetles
4. Lyctid beetles
This log, a beam supporting a balcony on the exterior of a log home, is soft when probed with an awl and afflicted with
1. Wood decay fungi
2. Dry rot fungi
3. Serpula Lacrymans
4. Sapstain fungi
Which organism was, at one time, present in this wood?
1. Western subterranean termites
2. Pacific dampwood termites
3. Old house borer
4. Teredo
Two species of this ant, which is a newcomer to Washington state, have a fine pubescence on the abdomen and release a scent similar to that of the odorous house ant. Some entomologists suggest that the pest is more likely to tunnel in foam insulation (see photo) than in wood. The ant shown is in the species known as the
1. Velvety tree ant
2. Acrobat ant
3. Fire ant
4. Harvester ant
These insects nest in old buprestid or cerambycid beetle exit holes and plug the holes with mud. The insect shown is a
1. African killer bee
2. Wood boring wasp
3. Orchard mason bee
4. Muddauber wasp

King of the House Home Inspection's Pacific Northwest Wood Destroying Organism (WDO)

Quiz

(A NUMBER OF THE INSECTS AND SPECIMENS ON THIS TEST ARE MAGNIFIED TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO EXAMINE THEM)