A termite inspection isn’t just paperwork. It’s the difference between catching a problem early — when it’s manageable — and finding out after the fact, when the repair bill is sitting between $8,000 and $20,000 and your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover a cent of it. That’s how Florida works, and St. Leo is no exception.
The homes around Lake Jovita sit in a high-moisture environment. The ground stays damp, the humidity rarely breaks, and subterranean termites thrive in exactly those conditions. For the premium properties in the Lake Jovita area — where median home values are pushing $434,000 — the cost of skipping an annual termite inspection isn’t a savings. It’s a gamble with a house-sized stake.
St. Leo also carries some of the oldest residential and institutional structures in Pasco County. The Abbey, the monastery, the older homes near the university — wood-frame buildings with decades of exposure don’t get more forgiving over time. A proper WDO inspection documents what’s actually happening inside those structures, not just what’s visible from the outside. That’s the kind of clarity that protects your investment and your peace of mind.
Around The Clock Pest Service is a family-owned business based in Spring Hill, FL, serving both Hernando and Pasco County — which means St. Leo isn’t a stretch of our service area. It’s home territory. George Lundin personally handles calls, answers questions, and provides most quotes directly over the phone without requiring a sales visit first.
We hold FDACS License #LF286842, valid through June 2027. That’s the specific state license required to legally conduct WDO inspections and produce the FDACS Form 13645 report that VA, FHA, and conventional lenders require at closing. Not every inspector operating in the Dade City and eastern Pasco County corridor holds that credential — and for buyers using a VA or FHA loan, that distinction can determine whether your transaction closes on time or falls apart.
With over 100 five-star Google reviews from real Hernando and Pasco County customers and BBB A+ accreditation since 2022, our track record speaks for itself. No subcontractors. No national call center. Just a local family business that shows up and does the work right.
It starts with a phone call — and in most cases, you’ll have a quote before you hang up. George handles the intake personally, asks a few straightforward questions about your property, and gives you a clear number. No appointment required just to get a price. For a homebuyer in St. Leo working against a closing deadline, that kind of efficiency matters.
Once the inspection is scheduled, a certified technician walks the full property — interior and exterior. That means the foundation perimeter, crawl spaces, attic access points, wood-to-soil contact areas, and any visible structural wood. In St. Leo specifically, moisture-prone areas near Lake Jovita get particular attention. The warm, humid subtropical climate here means subterranean termite pressure is year-round, and the inspection is thorough enough to reflect that reality — not a quick walk-around.
After the inspection, you receive the official FDACS Form 13645 — the state-mandated WDO report that documents any evidence of wood-destroying organisms, previous treatments, and conditions conducive to infestation. This is the exact document your lender, title company, or real estate agent needs. It’s legally valid, lender-accepted, and produced by a licensed operator — not a general home inspector who can’t legally issue this report under Florida law.
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A WDO inspection through Around The Clock covers termites — subterranean and drywood — along with wood-decaying fungi and other wood-destroying organisms that Florida’s climate actively supports. In St. Leo, where the combination of high humidity, lake proximity, and older building stock creates compounding risk, that full-scope approach matters. You’re not just checking a box. You’re getting a real picture of what’s happening to the wood in your home.
For homebuyers in the St. Leo and Dade City corridor using VA or FHA financing, the WDO report is a loan requirement — and it has to come from a licensed operator. Our FDACS license satisfies that requirement completely. The report is produced on the official state form, accepted by lenders, and turned around quickly enough to keep your closing timeline intact. If you’re selling, a pre-listing termite report gives you the same advantage in reverse — you know what’s there before a buyer’s inspector finds it.
For homeowners who aren’t in a transaction, annual termite monitoring is the smarter long-term play. Florida’s termite season doesn’t have an off switch. The spring swarming months bring the most visible activity, but subterranean termites work year-round beneath the surface. A once-a-year inspection keeps you ahead of the problem — and in a community where properties move fast and hold significant value, staying ahead is worth every dollar.
It depends on your loan type. If you’re using a VA or FHA loan to purchase a home in St. Leo, a WDO inspection is required before closing — it’s not optional. Your lender will ask for it, and the report has to come from an FDACS-licensed pest control operator. A general home inspector cannot legally produce the FDACS Form 13645 that satisfies this requirement under Florida law.
Even if you’re using a conventional loan, most real estate agents in the Pasco County market strongly recommend getting one. St. Leo’s older housing stock, combined with the moisture conditions near Lake Jovita, makes undisclosed termite activity a real risk. The cost of a WDO inspection is typically between $75 and $300 — a straightforward investment when you’re buying a home in a market where median sale prices are around $434,000.
A general home inspector looks at the structural and mechanical systems of a house — roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical. They are not licensed to identify or report on wood-destroying organisms, and they cannot legally produce the WDO report that Florida lenders require. That’s a completely separate credential governed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
A WDO inspection is performed by an FDACS-licensed pest control operator and specifically documents evidence of termites, wood-decaying fungi, and other wood-destroying organisms. The resulting FDACS Form 13645 is the official state document that satisfies loan requirements and gives buyers, sellers, and lenders a legally valid record of the property’s condition. In St. Leo’s real estate market — where closings are active and inventory moves quickly — having the right report from the right inspector keeps your transaction on track.
Once a year is the professional standard, and in St. Leo it’s genuinely warranted. Florida’s humid subtropical climate means termites are active every month of the year — there’s no winter slowdown that gives your home a break. The spring months, roughly March through May, are when subterranean termite swarms are most visible, but the colony doing the actual damage has been working long before you see a single swinger.
For properties near Lake Jovita, the case for annual monitoring is even stronger. Ground moisture levels around the lake create ideal conditions for subterranean termites and the wood-decaying fungi that a WDO inspection is designed to detect. Waiting two or three years between inspections in that environment isn’t conservative — it’s a risk. The cost of an annual inspection is a fraction of what even a moderate termite repair runs, and catching activity early is the only way to keep repair costs manageable.
The official document is FDACS Form 13645 — the state-mandated WDO inspection report produced by licensed pest control operators in Florida. It documents any active evidence of wood-destroying organisms, any previous treatments on the property, and any conditions that are conducive to infestation, such as wood-to-soil contact or excessive moisture. It covers subterranean termites, drywood termites, wood-decaying fungi, and other WDO organisms.
Yes, lenders accept it — but only when it’s produced by an FDACS-licensed operator. We hold License #LF286842, which is valid through June 2027 and authorizes us to legally conduct these inspections and issue the report. If you’re closing on a home in St. Leo or anywhere in Pasco County and your lender is asking for a WDO report, this is the document they need, and we can produce it on a timeline that works with your closing schedule.
The most common visible signs are discarded wings near windowsills or doorframes, small mud tubes running along your foundation or exterior walls, and wood that sounds hollow when tapped. During spring swarming season — typically March through May in central Florida — you may also see winged termites emerging from the soil or from inside the home itself. When that happens, the colony behind it has usually been established for at least three to five years.
In St. Leo, the signs worth paying closest attention to are moisture-related. Bubbling or uneven paint, soft spots in wood flooring, and visible fungal growth on structural wood are all indicators that warrant an immediate professional inspection. Homes near Lake Jovita are particularly susceptible because sustained ground moisture accelerates both termite activity and wood decay. If you’re seeing any of these signs — or if it’s been more than a year since your last WDO inspection — it’s worth making the call before the problem gets ahead of you.
Yes — and both discounts are straightforward. New homeowners receive a discount on termite inspections in St. Leo because buying a home is already a significant financial commitment, and starting that ownership with a clean, professionally documented WDO inspection shouldn’t feel like an added burden. St. Leo’s housing inventory moves fast, and new owners here tend to be making meaningful long-term investments. Getting an inspection done right at the start is one of the smartest things you can do for a property in this area.
Military families also receive a dedicated discount. The broader Pasco County region has a notable veteran population, and we recognize that. These aren’t programs tacked on as an afterthought — they reflect how we actually operate. If you’re a new homeowner or an active or veteran military family in St. Leo, mention it when you call. George will take care of you directly.
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