The Entomologist Certificates for wood destroying insects are commonly required by banks for property transfers in the coastal areas of South Africa, Cape Town included.

A clause in the agreement between a seller and purchaser requires the seller to produce a valid Entomologist Certificate for Wood Destroying Organisms, like wood borer and subterranean termites (white ants).

The Wood Destroying Organisms (WDO) Clearance Certificate is a document that certifies that a property is free of wood-destroying organisms, such as termites, carpenter ants, and wood-boring beetles.

The Wood Destroying Organisms Certificate, also known as a Beetle COC, is valid for three months from the date it was issued.

It is recommended to do a beetle inspection on an annual basis, to detect any wood-destroying insects on your property and avoid damage to your property, or additional costs involved in treating and eradicating wood destroying insects.

The organisms that require fumigation to obtain a clearance certificate will be determined by the purchase offer.
The WDO inspector would inspect for wood-destroying insects that have the potential to cause significant damage to dry-seasoned timber.

The following wood-destroying pests are included when a qualified pest control inspector inspects a property for a WDO certificate:

• West Indian drywood termites and Brown house borers
• Italian beetles and Common furniture beetles
• Powder post beetles and False furniture beetles
• Subterranean termites and any WDO of economic significance in accessible areas
• Harvester termites

Because of the stringent requirements for a Certificate of Clearance of wood-destroying insects, the recommended treatment must also allow for the possibility of latent infestation and infestation in inaccessible areas.

If an infestation is found, the affected timbers or structures will need treatment to eradicate the infestation before an Entomologists Certificate may be issued.

Bugs & Sparks has qualified wood destroying organism inspectors, and we are registered with the South African Pest Control Association as Inspectors for Wood-Destroying Organisms.

The Beetle Certificate of Clearance specifically pertains to the absence of wood-destroying beetles and termites in a building. As a result, it does not address other general pests like ants, rodents, flies, cockroaches, fleas, fishmoths, lice, bees, birds, and other non-wood-destroying insects or animals. These types of pests require different types of inspections or certifications to ensure their absence. Therefore, it is important to understand the scope of the Beetle Certificate of clearance and to obtain additional inspections or certifications to address other types of pests as needed.