Most homeowners in Ridge Manor don’t find out they have a termite problem until the damage is already done. By that point, you’re not talking about an inspection fee — you’re talking about repairs that routinely run $8,000 to $12,000, sometimes more. A proper WDO inspection tells you exactly what’s happening inside your walls, under your floors, and along your foundation before it reaches that point.
This matters more in Ridge Manor than most people realize. The Withlacoochee River flooding in October 2024 saturated soil across the area for weeks — in some spots longer. That kind of prolonged ground moisture is exactly what draws subterranean termites in. Add the wooded lots backing up to the Withlacoochee State Forest, and you’ve got conditions that keep termite colonies active and expanding year-round, not just in summer.
If you’re buying a home here using a VA, USDA, or FHA loan, a WDO report isn’t optional — it’s required before your lender will close. And if you already own your home in Ridge Manor and haven’t had an inspection in the last year, you’re making a bet that most homeowners can’t afford to lose. Knowing what’s there — or confirming that nothing is — is the whole point.
Around The Clock Pest Service is a family-run operation based in Hernando County, serving Ridge Manor and the surrounding area. George Lundin started this business in 2020 because he kept seeing the same problems: pest companies that didn’t pick up, showed up late, and handed customers invoices full of charges nobody mentioned upfront. So he built something different — a business where the owner is the one answering calls, giving quotes, and standing behind every job.
When you call about a termite inspection in Ridge Manor, you’re talking to George. Not a dispatcher. Not a call center. The person who will actually show up. Most quotes are given right over the phone, and we respond within 24 hours, including weekends — which matters when you’re racing toward a closing date or dealing with something that can’t wait until Monday.
Around The Clock holds FDACS License #LF286842, valid through June 2027. That’s the state-issued certification required to legally conduct WDO inspections in Florida and produce the FDACS Form 13645 report that your lender needs. Over 100 five-star Google reviews and a BBB A+ rating since 2022 back that up.
It starts with a phone call. George will ask you a few straightforward questions — what type of home you have, when it was built, whether you’re buying, selling, or just doing your annual check. From there, he can typically give you a price on the spot. No inspection required just to get a number. No sales pitch attached to it.
On inspection day, a certified inspector walks your entire property — inside and out. That means the foundation perimeter, crawlspace or slab, attic, garage, window frames, and any wood that’s in contact with soil or has been exposed to moisture. In Ridge Manor specifically, that last part gets extra attention. Homes near the West Lake area, along the river corridor, or on larger wooded lots adjacent to the Croom area have a different moisture profile than a concrete-block home on a dry suburban lot. The inspection accounts for that. We’re looking at all five categories covered under a WDO report: subterranean termites, drywood termites, wood-boring beetles, powderpost beetles, and fungal wood decay.
After the inspection, you get the completed FDACS Form 13645 — the official state report. If you’re closing on a property, that document goes straight to your lender. If you’re an existing homeowner, it gives you a clear picture of what’s there, what’s not, and what to watch for. No vague summaries. No upsell attached to the findings.
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A WDO inspection is not the same thing as a general pest check or a quick visual walkthrough. It’s a structured, legally defined assessment conducted by an FDACS-licensed operator — and in Florida, it’s the only type of termite inspection that produces a report your lender will actually accept. Our WDO inspections cover all five wood-destroying organism categories: subterranean termites, drywood termites, wood-boring beetles, powderpost beetles, and fungal wood decay. Every one of those categories is relevant in Ridge Manor.
Subterranean termites are the most common threat here, and they’re particularly aggressive in areas with high soil moisture — which describes a significant portion of Ridge Manor’s housing stock after the 2024 river flooding. Drywood termites are common in older wood-frame and manufactured homes, which make up a large share of the local inventory in Ridge Manor Estates and surrounding areas. Fungal wood decay becomes a real concern in any structure that experienced ground-level flooding or prolonged moisture exposure. These aren’t theoretical risks — they’re the specific conditions that exist in this community.
If you’re a veteran or active military family, ask about the military discount when you call. If you’re a new homeowner, there’s a discount for that too. Ridge Manor has a strong veteran community, and these aren’t add-ons — they’re built into how we operate.
If you’re using a VA, FHA, USDA, or most conventional loans, yes — a WDO inspection is required before your lender will authorize closing. For VA loans specifically, the state of Florida requires a wood-destroying insect inspection on every transaction, with no county-by-county exceptions. That means Ridge Manor is fully included, regardless of whether the home is new construction or decades old.
Ridge Manor is also a USDA loan-eligible community, which means a lot of buyers here are using 100% financing programs that carry their own WDO inspection requirements. If you’re under contract and your closing date is approaching, this is not something to schedule at the last minute. Around The Clock responds within 24 hours and can typically get you on the calendar quickly — but the sooner you call, the better your timeline holds.
The report your lender needs is FDACS Form 13645, produced by an FDACS-licensed pest control operator. Around The Clock holds License #LF286842. That’s the credential that makes the report valid. An inspection from an unlicensed provider — regardless of how thorough it seems — won’t satisfy your lender and won’t protect your closing.
WDO inspections in the Hernando County market generally range from $75 to $300, depending on the size of the home, the type of structure, and what access points need to be evaluated. Around The Clock gives most quotes over the phone — so you’ll have a real number before anyone shows up at your door, not a vague range that changes once the inspector is standing in your driveway.
For Ridge Manor homeowners, it’s worth putting that cost in perspective. The average termite repair in Florida runs between $8,000 and $12,000. In a community where the average home value sits around $127,000, a repair bill at that level represents a serious chunk of what your property is worth. The inspection fee is a small, one-time cost against a risk that doesn’t go away on its own — especially in a community with the moisture and soil conditions Ridge Manor has. Call for a straight answer on price. You won’t get a runaround.
The most common signs people notice are mud tubes — pencil-thin tunnels of dried soil running up foundation walls, piers, or wooden posts. Subterranean termites build these to travel between the soil and the wood they’re feeding on, and they’re one of the clearest indicators of active activity. You might also notice wood that sounds hollow when you tap it, doors or windows that suddenly stick or warp without an obvious reason, or small piles of what looks like sawdust near baseboards or window frames.
In manufactured homes, which are common throughout Ridge Manor Estates and surrounding areas, the risk profile is different from a concrete-block structure. Manufactured homes use significant wood framing, often with less barrier between the frame and the ground, which gives subterranean termites easier access. Older wood-frame homes built before current pretreatment requirements were standard face a similar vulnerability. If your home falls into either category and hasn’t been inspected recently — especially after the 2024 flooding — that’s a gap worth closing. Termites rarely announce themselves until the damage is already significant.
Yes, and it’s not a minor factor. When soil stays saturated for an extended period — which happened across Ridge Manor and the West Lake area following Hurricane Milton in October 2024 — it creates ideal conditions for subterranean termite colonies to expand. These termites live in the soil and travel through it to reach wood. When moisture is high and consistent, their activity increases and their range expands. The flooding in 2024 was described by water management officials as unprecedented in this area, with river levels near SR 50 exceeding Hurricane Irma’s peak and remaining elevated for weeks.
That kind of event doesn’t just create a short-term risk window. Soil moisture levels, wood saturation in crawlspaces and lower framing, and disrupted drainage around foundations can stay elevated for months afterward. Homes that experienced any flooding — even minor ground-level water — should be inspected. And homes that didn’t flood directly but sit near the river corridor or on wooded lots adjacent to the Withlacoochee State Forest are still in elevated-risk terrain. An annual inspection is the professional recommendation for any Florida home. In Ridge Manor right now, it’s more than a recommendation.
A WDO inspection — Wood-Destroying Organism inspection — is the legally recognized form of termite inspection in Florida. It’s broader than a standard termite check and covers five categories: subterranean termites, drywood termites, wood-boring beetles, powderpost beetles, and fungal wood decay. The output is FDACS Form 13645, a state-mandated report that mortgage lenders require for real estate closings. Only FDACS-licensed pest control operators can legally produce this report.
A “basic termite check” or visual walkthrough performed by an unlicensed inspector doesn’t produce that form, and it won’t satisfy your lender — even if the person doing it seems thorough. In Florida, the distinction matters legally and financially. For homeowners in Ridge Manor who aren’t in the middle of a real estate transaction, a WDO inspection still provides more complete information than a surface-level check. Given the combination of moisture conditions, older housing stock, and wooded surroundings in this community, knowing the full picture — not just whether someone spotted a mud tube — is worth the difference.
Yes — and in Ridge Manor, both of those groups are well represented. The community has a meaningful veteran population, and its affordable, rural character makes it a natural landing spot for military families looking for space without the price tag of more developed parts of Hernando County. We offer a discount specifically for military families, because that’s a community George has always wanted to serve well — not as a marketing line, but as a straightforward acknowledgment of what that service means.
The new homeowner discount exists for a similar reason. Buying a home in Ridge Manor — whether you’re using a USDA loan, a VA loan, or conventional financing — comes with enough moving parts already. Getting a fair price on a required inspection from someone who answers the phone directly and gives you a real quote upfront is one less thing to navigate. When you call, just mention that you’re a veteran, active military, or a new homeowner. George will take care of the rest.
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