What is the best way to deal with termites?

Q: My husband and I disagree over what to do about the termites in our home. For the past 27 years, he has sprayed poison wherever we've seen frass particles. I've heard that termites must be professionally exterminated, but he says termites are a permanent problem in our area and that they will always return after extermination. What is your advice?

A: Here are some termite facts to help settle your domestic debate:

1) Termite colonies continually increase in population. The older a termite colony is, the more mouths it has to feed. A five-year-old colony may contain a few thousand termites. A colony that is 27 years old could have a census of millions. Consider how much wood that many termites could eat on a daily basis.

2) Termites live deep within the recesses of the wood members of a structure. They eat tunnels in the wood framing until all that is left of a stud, joist, or rafter is the outer veneer.

3) When termite tunnels become clogged with frass (termite poop), the little “wood-munchers” make small holes to expel these particles from their domain. The frass that you see in your home is a small sample, compared with what could be found in the attic or inside the walls.

4) Insect sprays cannot penetrate the structural framing members where termites live, eat, and multiply. The only way to eliminate them it to have your home professionally exterminated. Postponing this process ensures the continued consumption of the wood components of your home.

Your home is long overdue for proper treatment. My advice is to hire a licensed pest control operator and to have your home tented.

Q: Home inspectors are often accused of negligence when excessive weather conditions prevent them from inspecting some areas of a home. For example, a home inspector might not inspect an attic when the outside temperature is over 100 degrees. If problems in the attic are discovered at a later date, is it unfair to hold the inspector liable?

A: Weather conditions often prevent home inspectors from completing portions of an inspection, and liability can be a problem in some of these instances if defects are discovered later. Rain, for example, can prevent a home inspector from walking on a roof; snow can prevent an inspector from seeing a roof; and hot weather, as you suggest, can prevent inspection of an attic. However, in each of these instances, the need for disclosure does not end with a disclaimer in the inspection report.

In the case of an overheated attic, the inspection report should recommend further evaluation of the attic prior to close of escrow. If the attic is too hot in the afternoon, it will probably be much cooler the following morning. A home inspector who is concerned about the interests of customers will make that kind of recommendation. This applies to other situations, as well. Wet weather, cold weather, storage of personal property, inaccessibility, or other issues can prevent the completion of an inspection. Home inspectors should always recommend further evaluation when conditions that prevent a full inspection have been eliminated. This approach serves the disclosure needs of homebuyers and reduces the liability of home inspectors.

• Distributed by Action Coast Publishing. Questions to Barry Stone can be e-mailed to barry@housedetective.com.