Termites are the homeowner's foe, because they convert wooden trusses and beams into humongous repairs.

Termites last year chomped almost $2 billion in damage to American homes. Buyers can help protect themselves by ordering a Wood Destroying Insect (WDI) report, also called a termite report. In Texas, not every home inspector is licensed to create a WDI report.

What's a WDI report cover?

It documents evidence of infestation by and conditions conducive to five wood-destroying insects in Central Texas — termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, powder-post beetles and old house borer beetles.

Termites are by far the most destructive. The typical home with wood framing, siding and finishes offers Texas' subterranean termites an all-you-can-eat buffet. The tiny white bugs (pictured above) stay hidden, so inspectors look for signs like damaged walls or floors, shelter tubes, and papery wings dropped when termites swarm in Spring. The WDI report usually runs three pages.

Should you get a WDI report?

Inspectors joke that there are two kinds of houses in Greater Austin: "Those with termites, and those that are gonna get 'em." HUD, FHA and other lenders require you to produce a "clean" WDI report at closing. They don't want to finance termite-ridden houses. You should be no less diligent.

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Bug Buzz

• The aggressive Formosan termite found in California, Florida and nine other states is not common in Central Texas. Formosan termites are larger and much more destructive than the native species in Greater Austin.
• Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but hollow it out to make a nest. Tiny piles of sawdust, often containing insect parts, are a sign of carpenter ants.
• Contrary to their name, old house borer beetles are usually found in newer homes.
• The scholarly journal Science linked termite flatulence to global warming. It reported that up to 30% of methane in Earth's atmosphere may be from gas passed by termites, whose diet is all roughage.
• Carpenter bees look like bumblebees, but rarely sting.
• Unlike termites and other wood-destroying bugs, powder-post beetles attack only seasoned hardwoods. They seldom cause structural damage, but their exit holes deface woodwork, furniture and flooring.
• Victorious termites bite off the heads of the king and queen in colonies they conquer, but usually spare worker termites.

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Fight that Termite!

1. Clear yards of form boards, wood debris and tree stumps. Keep mulch containing wood one foot or more from foundations.
2. Stack firewood off the ground and away from the house.
3. Make sure wooden fences, railings and decks do not touch the house. A one-inch gap thwarts termites.
4. Don't let wood contact soil. Deck pillars should be on concrete footings or other non-cellulose material.
5. Fix moisture problems, since termites like dampness. Repair leaking water lines, unclog gutters, channel downspouts away from foundations.
6. Trim shrubbery so it doesn't touch your house, and keep sprinklers off walls.