Termites don’t announce themselves. By the time you see the damage — buckled floors, hollow door frames, soft spots in the ceiling — a colony has likely been working for months, sometimes years. In Dade City, that timeline is compressed. The subtropical climate here means termite colonies stay active every single month of the year. There’s no winter slowdown, no off-season. The warm, humid summers and mild winters that make this part of Pasco County so livable are the exact same conditions that keep subterranean and drywood termites thriving year-round.
For homebuyers in Dade City, a professional termite inspection is often the difference between a clean closing and a costly surprise. If you’re using a VA or FHA loan — and a lot of buyers in this market are, given the area’s accessible price points — your lender requires a WDO inspection before closing. That report has to come from an FDACS-licensed inspector and be documented on the official FDACS Form 13645. A report from an unlicensed source won’t be accepted, and your closing won’t move forward without it.
For homeowners who’ve been in their Dade City place for a few years, the math is straightforward. Homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover termite damage. The average repair bill in Florida runs $8,000 to $12,000. An annual inspection costs a fraction of that — and it catches activity early, when treatment is simpler and the damage is still manageable. That’s just what protecting a home in Florida actually looks like.
Around The Clock Pest Service is a family-owned, owner-operated pest control company serving Hernando and Pasco County, including Dade City and the surrounding communities. George Lundin started this business because he was frustrated with pest companies that didn’t answer their phones, sent whoever was available, and left clients guessing on price. That’s not how we work. When you call about a termite inspection, you’re talking directly to George — not a call center, not a dispatcher, not an automated system.
Most quotes are handled right over the phone. No appointment required just to get a number. George and Mary run this operation together, and that means every client gets consistent, personal communication from start to finish. We hold FDACS License #LF286842, carry BBB A+ accreditation, and have earned over 100 five-star Google reviews from real customers across Hernando and Pasco County — the same communities, the same climate, the same termite pressures you’re dealing with in Dade City.
Whether you’re buying near Lake Jovita, selling a historic home in downtown Dade City, or just overdue for a check on a house that’s been in the family for decades — this is the call that gets you a straight answer.
It starts with a phone call. You describe the property — size, age, construction type — and George gives you a quote on the spot. No waiting for a callback, no scheduling a sales visit just to get a price. For most homes in Dade City, that conversation takes five minutes and gives you everything you need to decide.
Once you’re booked, a certified inspector comes to the property and conducts a full Wood-Destroying Organism inspection. That means a thorough walkthrough of the interior and exterior — foundation perimeter, crawl spaces if present, attic access points, door and window frames, garage areas, and any wood-to-soil contact points. In Dade City, that last item matters more than people expect. The agricultural surroundings of eastern Pasco County — the citrus groves, the open pasture, the Withlacoochee River corridor nearby — mean the native subterranean termite population in the soil here is significant. Properties with any ground-level wood exposure, older framing, or landscaping close to the structure get extra attention.
The inspection covers subterranean termites, drywood termites, wood-boring beetles, powderpost beetles, and fungal wood decay. When it’s complete, you receive the official FDACS Form 13645 — the state-mandated WDO report that VA lenders, FHA lenders, and conventional lenders in Florida require. We deliver it promptly, because if you’re under contract in Dade City’s real estate market, your closing timeline doesn’t flex.
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A WDO inspection isn’t just a termite check. It’s a complete assessment of every wood-destroying organism that could be compromising your home’s structure — and in Dade City, that list is longer than most homeowners realize. Both subterranean and drywood termites are active here. Subterranean termites work from the ground up, traveling through the soil and entering structures through cracks in the foundation, gaps around plumbing, or wood that makes direct contact with the earth. Drywood termites don’t need soil at all — they colonize dry wood in attics, wall voids, and structural framing, making them a real threat even in newer construction like Abbey Glen or the golf course communities at Lake Jovita.
The inspection also covers wood-boring beetles, powderpost beetles, and fungal wood decay — organisms that cause structural deterioration that’s easy to miss and expensive to repair if it goes undetected. For Dade City’s older downtown homes and pre-2000 neighborhoods, these aren’t hypothetical risks. Decades of Florida humidity, aging framing, and settled foundations create the exact conditions these organisms need.
We respond within 24 hours, seven days a week. For buyers with a closing date approaching, that availability is real — not a marketing line. Special discounts are available for new homeowners and military families, which matters in a community like Dade City where VA loan usage is common and first-time buyers are an active part of the market. If you’re not sure whether you need a full WDO inspection or just have a question about what you’re seeing, call. You’ll get a straight answer without any pressure.
If you’re using a VA loan to purchase a home in Dade City, the answer is yes — it’s required statewide in Florida, no exceptions. The VA mandates a wood-destroying insect inspection for all purchase and cash-out refinance transactions across the entire state, and Pasco County is no different. FHA loans follow a similar requirement when the appraiser or lender identifies risk factors, which in Dade City’s market — with significant older housing stock and year-round termite activity — comes up regularly.
Even on conventional loans, many lenders will require a WDO inspection based on the property’s age, condition, or the appraiser’s observations. And beyond lender requirements, it’s simply smart. Dade City’s housing market includes a large number of homes built before 2000, and a pre-purchase termite inspection is one of the most cost-effective ways to avoid inheriting a problem the seller may not even know exists. The inspection report you receive — FDACS Form 13645 — is the only document your lender will accept, so it needs to come from a licensed FDACS inspector.
A termite inspection typically refers to checking for termite activity specifically. A WDO inspection — Wood-Destroying Organism inspection — is broader and is the legally recognized standard in Florida. It covers subterranean termites, drywood termites, wood-boring beetles, powderpost beetles, and fungal wood decay. The results are documented on FDACS Form 13645, which is the official state form required for real estate transactions.
For homebuyers in Dade City, this distinction matters because your lender won’t accept an informal report or a document that only addresses termites. The WDO report has to be complete, signed by a licensed FDACS inspector, and filed on the correct form. For homeowners not in a transaction, a full WDO inspection still gives you a more complete picture of your home’s condition than a basic termite check — especially in Dade City where drywood termites, wood-boring beetles, and moisture-related fungal decay are all legitimate concerns alongside subterranean termite activity.
Once a year is the professional standard in Florida, and Dade City is a good example of why. The climate here doesn’t give termite colonies a reason to slow down. Warm winters, humid summers, and the moisture-rich soil conditions in eastern Pasco County — particularly near the Withlacoochee River corridor — keep subterranean termite populations active throughout the year. There’s no natural reset button the way colder climates might provide.
Annual termite monitoring in Dade City also makes financial sense. Homeowner’s insurance policies in Florida explicitly exclude termite damage, so if a colony goes undetected for two or three years, the repair bill lands entirely on you. The average termite damage repair in Florida runs $8,000 to $12,000. An annual inspection is a modest, predictable cost that catches activity early — when treatment is straightforward and the structural impact is still limited. For homes in older neighborhoods or downtown Dade City, where aging wood framing and decades of humidity exposure are already in play, waiting isn’t a strategy.
For a typical single-family home in Dade City, a WDO inspection usually takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a half, depending on the size of the property, accessibility of crawl spaces or attic areas, and the complexity of the structure. The inspector examines the full perimeter of the foundation, all accessible interior spaces, the attic, the garage, door and window frames, and any areas where wood makes contact with soil or concrete.
In Dade City specifically, inspectors pay close attention to ground-level wood exposure and moisture conditions around the foundation — both common in older construction and relevant given the area’s agricultural surroundings and soil moisture levels. The inspection covers all wood-destroying organisms, not just termites. After the walkthrough, you receive the completed FDACS Form 13645 documenting any findings, visible damage, and conducive conditions. If you’re under contract and working toward a closing deadline, we deliver the report promptly so your transaction stays on track.
The most visible sign is a termite swarm — winged termites, called alates, that emerge in warm, humid conditions, typically in spring but possible any time of year in Dade City’s climate. If you see a swarm inside or around your home, that’s a strong indicator of an established colony nearby. Discarded wings near windowsills or doorways after a swarm are another common sign.
Beyond swarms, look for mud tubes — pencil-width tunnels made of soil and debris — running along your foundation, walls, or floor joists. These are the travel highways subterranean termites build to move between the soil and their food source. Hollow-sounding wood when you tap on it, bubbling or uneven paint that resembles water damage, frass (which looks like fine sawdust or coffee grounds) near wood surfaces, and doors or windows that suddenly don’t fit their frames properly are all signs of termites in Florida homes. In Dade City’s older housing stock, these signs can be subtle and easy to miss without a trained eye — which is exactly why a professional inspection catches what a visual check from a homeowner won’t.
Yes — we offer discounts for both new homeowners and military families, and in Dade City, both groups make up a meaningful part of the buyer market. Pasco County sees consistent VA loan activity, and Dade City’s home prices — with a median around $344,000 to $366,000 — fall within a range that works well for VA financing. For a veteran buying their first home here, the WDO inspection is a required step before closing, and the discount makes that step a little more manageable alongside everything else closing costs involve.
For new homeowners who’ve just moved in and are getting familiar with Florida’s pest environment for the first time, the discount reflects something straightforward: you’re starting a relationship with a pest control company, and we’d rather earn your long-term trust than charge full price for an introductory call. When you call to schedule, just mention that you’re a new homeowner or a military family — George handles that conversation directly, no forms or hoops involved.
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