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MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER

Message Prepared For Home Inspectors and especially for Members of the American Institute of Inspectors®

May 2, 1999

GOOOOOD MORNING, A.I.I.™

It's a great day at Michael Leavitt & Co Home Inspections. It is amazing that summer is almost upon us. The hottest inspecting season starts with May. The way that this year has gone, I don't really want things to get any busier than they have been in the last couple of months........ I know....... quit whining.

It was tough getting back from last week's 4-day vacation. The phone rang non-stop and the schedule did not allow for the huge demand. This is a foreshadowing of the busy summer ahead. I have been trying to group inspections together in the different portions of our county so that I don't waste a lot of extra driving time. We have definitely reached the 3-a-day time of year. Having just 2 a day is a breath of fresh air, and the occasional 1 a day feels like a vacation. I hope that your enterprises are meeting your expectations and that today's MMM finds you in good health.

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22, 1999 .............. Release # 99-100

CPSC, Firms Announce Recall of Electric Meter Boxes

The following product safety recall was conducted by Square D Co. in cooperation with the CPSC.

PRODUCT: Combination Service Entrance Devices (CSEDs) - Square D Co., of Palatine, Ill., is recalling about 12,200 CSEDs, which are metal boxes mounted on the outside of homes and contain the electric meter and the main electrical breaker panel. These CSEDs are gray, and have catalog numbers C125RB, C200RB, C2M200RB, C4L200RB (Series M01), CQRB100CP (Series M01, E1, and E01) and CQRB200RB (Series M01, E3, and E03). "Square D" and the catalog number can be found on the wiring diagram located on the inside of the left-hand hinge cover. The CQRB100CP measures 12.8 inches high by 13.6 inches wide by 4.6 inches deep, and the other models measure 18.3 inches high by 19.5 inches wide by 4.6 inches deep. These products were sold nationwide primarily to electrical contractors through distributors. A small percentage were sold to contractors and possibly consumers through home improvement stores. They were sold from October 1997 through July 1998 for between $130 and $300.

PROBLEM: When these CSEDs are installed and electrical power supplied, electrical arcing can occur, posing a risk of shock, electrocution and electric burn.

INJURIES/INCIDENTS: CPSC and Square D are aware of one report of a unit arcing during installation. No injuries have been reported.

WHAT TO DO: If you have one of these devices that has not been installed, do not attempt to install or connect power to the device. If your CSED is installed and operating properly, it does not require replacement. The electrical arcing would be apparent on a defective CSED with sparks or fire emanating from the box. For a free replacement CSED, call Square D toll-free at (800) 666-7557 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST. Recorded messages can be left during other times.

WHAT IS THIS???

This has got to be one of the most interesting structures that I have encountered in a long time. It brings back floods of memories of my days as a surf bum. We spent considerable time in the 80's in Baja California riding the wild waves. We spent many nights in structures such as this.

Use your eagle inspecting eye and e-mail me what you see in the photo. I don't recall this ever being covered in the special certification program offered by A.I.I.™ regarding 1/2 of this structure. I would be very interested to receive photos from all of you on interesting buildings that some Americans call HOME.

Carpenter Ants

EDITOR'S NOTE: I hope that you enjoy the following info on another destructive wood destroying beast. The information comes from the National Pest Control Association. Some of the information is technical and is geared specifically towards the Pest Control Operators. Other portions are very beneficial for Home Inspectors. It is my opinion that the more that we can learn about destructive forces on the home, the more effective that we will be as Home Inspectors.

As you read this article I challenge you to find the tips on where to look for Carpenter Ants and their evidence inside crawl spaces. Also, what does Romex have to do with our search???

Excerpted from the NPCA Field Guide to Structural Pests, available through the NPCA Resource Center.

COMMON NAME: Carpenter ant

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Camponotus spp.

CLASS/ORDER/FAMILY: Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae

METAMORPHOSIS: Complete

INTRODUCTION. The black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGreer), is a native species and the common species in the east. Camponotus modoc Wheeler is the common western species. These ants get their common name from their habit of hollowing out galleries in pieces of wood for nesting purposes. This nesting habit can result in structural damage. Carpenter ants are found throughout the United States.

RECOGNITION. Workers polymorphic, large (1/8-1/2" or 3.5-13 mm) but vary greatly in size; queens about 112-518" (13-17 mm) long. Color black, combinations of red and black, or completely red or brown. Antenna 12-segmented, without a club. Thorax lacks spines, profile evenly roundedd on upper side. Peel 1-segmented. Gassier with anal opening round, surrounded by circlet of hairs. Stinger absent. Workers capable of emitting a strong formic acid odor.

Camponotus pennsylvanicus with workers about 1/4-1/2" (6-13 mm) long and completely black except top of gaster with long, pale yellowish hairs pressed against its surface. Camponotus modoc with workers about 1/4-1/2" (5-11 mm) long, dull black with reddish legs and with golden hairs covering abdomen. Queens up to 5/8+" (17+ mm) long. Other species black, various combinations of red and black, or completely red or brown. Although carpenter ants do not sting, their bites can be quite painful, especially when they inject formic acid into the wound.

SIMILAR GROUPS. (1) Dark field (Formica spp.), larger yellow (Acanthomyops interjectus), and Allegheny mound (F. exsectoides) ants have profile of thorax not evenly rounded, with distinct impression(s); in addition dark field ants with front and hind margins of node steeply or equally sloped. (2) Velvety tree ants (Liometopum spp.) lack circular anal opening surrounded by circlet of hairs. (3) Other medium to large dark ants with 2-segmented pedicel.

DAMAGE. The only external indication of infestation other than the presence of workers and/or swarmers is the appearance of small openings or windows on the surface of the wood. Through these, the workers expel debris which consists of sawdust-like shavings and/or fragments of insulation and insect body parts. The accumulation of such debris below such holes is a good indication of an infestation.

Inside, the galleries follow the softer spring wood with numerous connections through the harder/dark summer wood. The gallery walls are smooth, with a sand-papered appearance. The active galleries are kept clean of debris.

They prefer to attack wood softened by fungus and are often associated with moisture problems.

BIOLOGY. Black carpenter ant colonies are of moderate size, usually containing over 3,000 workers (up to 10-15,000 including satellite nests) when maturity is reached in about 3 to 6 years. The typical western carpenter ant (C. modoc) mature colony contains about 10-20,000 workers, with large colonies having up to 100,000 workers.

Developmental time (egg to adult) for workers takes at least 60 days. Workers are polymorphic, with majors, minors and intermediates present. There is usually only one functional, wingless queen per colony. Swarmers are not produced until the colony is more than 2 years old, usually 3.5-4 years old for C. pennsylvanicus and often 6-10 years old for C. modoc. Swarmers appear from May until August in the east and from February through June in the west.

HABITS. Most carpenter ant species establish their first nest in decayed wood and later expand or enlarge this into sound wood. Inside, nests are located in wood (preferably softened by fungus rot), in insulation, and/or in wall voids. Workers are a nuisance when out searching for food but are destructive to timbers utilized for nesting activities.

Outside, nests are typically located in rotting fence posts, stumps, old firewood, dead portions of standing trees, and under stones or fallen logs.

The presence of a carpenter ant nest is sometimes indicated by a rustling sound coming from wall voids or from wood where the colony is located. Otherwise, the emergence of swarmers indoors may be the first indication of an indoor colony.

Carpenter ants feed primarily on insect honeydew, plant and fruit juices, insects, and other arthropods. Inside, they will also feed on sweets, eggs, meats, cakes, and grease.

The workers forage for distances of up to 300 feet (91.4m) from the nest. They typically enter buildings around door and window frames, eaves, plumbing and utility lines, and shrub and tree branches in contact with the building. Although some workers are active during the day, most activity is from dusk till dawn, with peak activity between 10 pm and 2 am. The trail between the parent and satellite nest is usually about 1/4-13/16" (6-20 mm) wide and is kept clear of vegetation and debris. It usually follows contours but typically will cut across lawns.

CONTROL. The first step is to determine if the ants present are merely foraging inside or if there is a nest inside. The best indication of a nest is the presence of sawdust piles containing insect body parts. Another indication is the sound produced as the workers remove wood to expand the nest. Outside, check around the building's perimeter for foraging trails, especially in the direction of trees and shrubs; easiest to locate between sunset and sunrise when the ants are most active.

The second step is to locate any inside nests. Look for sawdust piles with insect body parts. Listen for ant sounds mentioned above; listening devices are helpful. Gently tap with a screwdriver, etc. all exposed wood such as floor joists, sill plates, roof rafters, etc. and listen for sound changes; nest cavities give a hollow or dull ring. Check suspicious areas with a knife blade which will readily penetrate infested wood. Be sure to check crawl spaces, basements, and attics. Carpenter ants have a network of trails they follow throughout a structure and often use the tops of electrical Wires and water pipes, so be sure to check where these are. A moisture meter can be helpful in locating areas of higher moisture in which the ants prefer to locate their initial nests.

The third step is to determine if the inside colony is a parent or satellite colony. Inspect and search. Detection of a trail directs one to the parent colony. For effective control, it is imperative to locate and eliminate the parent colony.

Once the colony or colonies are located, they should be treated directly with an appropriately labeled pesticide. Inside, this may involve drilling wall voids and applying dust and/or drilling wood members and pressure injection. Barrier treatment is effective in preventing entry, with wettable powder and microencapsulated formulations working best. All branches of trees and shrubs in contact with the building must be trimmed back. Be sure to check where electrical and water lines enter the building and caulk any gaps. Sometimes treating the bottom 3-6 feet (1-2 m) of tree trunks and/or utility poles is helpful.