Wood Destroying Organism (WDO) Home Inspection Practice Exam

For an inspector to report a structure as infested, it is sufficient to identify evidence of wood destroying organisms, which does not require the presence of live insects. Infestation can be established through various means, including visible signs of damage such as frass, powder, or the presence of galleries within the wood. Additionally, signs of previous activity, including dead insects or tunnels, can also indicate that an infestation occurred, even if the current infestation is no longer active.

Identifying remnants of past activity is crucial for understanding the history of infestation and potential ongoing risk, reinforcing the idea that live insects are not a necessity for classification as infested. This allows inspectors to account for scenarios where the active insect presence may have decreased or been eliminated, but previous damage suggests that wood destroying organisms were or may still be an issue.