Buying a Home in St. Johns or Flagler County? Your Pest, Termite, Wildlife, and Lawn Checklist
Home buyers in St. Johns and Flagler focus on the big-ticket stuff — roof, HVAC, foundation, flood zone. Pest, termite, wildlife, and lawn issues rarely make the priority list. Which is exactly why they compound into surprises after closing. This is the checklist to run before you make an offer, during due diligence, and in the first 90 days of ownership — covering all four of the categories most buyers skip.
Before You Make an Offer — The Walk-Through Checklist
Reserve 20 minutes of your first walk-through for these four categories:
Termite Signs (5 min)
- Mud tubes on foundations, garage slab edges, or pier bases
- Discarded swarmer wings on windowsills or in spider webs
- Frass (coffee-ground-like droppings) near windows, baseboards, or attic corners
- Hollow-sounding baseboards (tap with a coin or screwdriver handle)
- Blistering or bubbling paint on interior baseboards or trim
Wildlife Signs (5 min)
- Missing or replaced soffit sections, fascia, or gable vent covers
- Bird nesting in solar panels or under eaves
- Cone-shaped dig marks in the yard or flowerbeds (armadillo)
- Attic scent — musty, ammonia, or “animal”
- Chewed cardboard or nesting material in the attic or garage
Pest Signs (5 min)
- Palmetto bug shells around the exterior foundation
- Roach droppings behind the fridge or under sinks
- Grease marks along baseboards (rodent activity)
- Ant trails on kitchen counters or bathroom vanities
- Baited traps, spray bottles, or Terro-style stations lying around (indicates ongoing DIY treatment)
Lawn and Palm Signs (5 min)
- Yellow fronds on any palms (potassium/manganese/magnesium deficiency)
- Frizzled or stunted new spear on palms (dangerous — manganese deficiency)
- Round brown patches in the lawn (brown patch fungus)
- Irregular expanding brown patches in sunny areas (chinch bugs)
- Weed pressure in lawn interior (indicates chronic care gap)
Due Diligence — Questions and Inspections
Ask the Seller
- Any active termite bond, and is it transferable?
- Any past termite treatment or damage repair?
- Any past wildlife remediation (attic work, exclusion, insulation replacement)?
- Current pest control service — company name and last 12 months of records?
- Any lawn or landscape service? Palm nutrient program in place?
- Recent baseboard, trim, or drywall work in specific rooms?
Inspections to Schedule
- Standard home inspection — covers structural, HVAC, roof, plumbing, electrical
- Termite / WDO inspection — required by most lenders. Produces the signed 13645 form. This is a paid inspection typically $75–$150 done by a licensed WDO inspector.
- Free pre-purchase termite inspection — separate from WDO; independent look at termite risk. Unity provides these free.
- Wildlife inspection — optional, $150–$275 for a dedicated wildlife assessment if walk-through raised concerns
- Pest inspection — free from us; identifies active issues before you close
- Lawn and palm assessment — free from us; sets baseline for what recovery or maintenance will cost
What to Negotiate at Closing
Findings from inspections can be negotiated as either seller-completed remediation OR price reductions:
- Active termite issue: seller pays for treatment before closing OR credits treatment cost at closing
- Active wildlife issue: similar — seller either completes remediation or credits documented cost
- Termite bond transfer: get in writing that any existing bond transfers to you at closing at no cost
- Palm replacement risk: documented deficiencies with written treatment estimate = quantifiable negotiation lever
- Lawn restoration: if lawn is in poor condition and needs re-sod or extensive treatment, written estimate supports negotiation
Your First 90 Days of Ownership — Setup Plan
Regardless of what you inherited, the first 90 days of ownership sets your baseline. What we recommend:
Week 1
- Free property walkthrough — baseline all four categories
- Address any immediate pest activity
- Verify any transferred bond is properly registered in your name
Weeks 2–4
- Set up quarterly pest control if not already in place
- Start palm nutrient treatment if deficiencies were identified
- Address any wildlife entry points found in initial inspection
Months 2–3
- Set up annual lawn program if needed
- Establish termite bond if none was in place
- Complete any exclusion or sanitation work in the attic
The math on why this matters: a $300–$600 pre-close inspection round across pest, wildlife, termite, and lawn typically catches $3,000–$15,000 of issues you’d otherwise inherit and pay for in year one.
Under contract on a St. Johns or Flagler home? Book a free pre-purchase walkthrough.
Free property assessment covering pest, wildlife, termite, and lawn — all four categories in one visit. Written summary within 48 hours you can share with your realtor and closing attorney.
See All Services →Related: wildlife questions to ask, pest control questions, termite questions, lawn and palm questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t all of this covered by a standard home inspection?
No. General home inspectors evaluate structural, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roof — not landscape, palm health, wildlife access, or pest activity. Category-specific inspections are usually separate.
Is a WDO inspection the same as a termite inspection?
Related but different. WDO (Wood-Destroying Organism) inspection is the formal, licensed inspection required for real estate transactions — it produces the signed 13645 form your lender needs. A free pre-purchase termite inspection from us is separate and independent.
How much can I expect to spend on year-one pest, wildlife, and lawn setup?
Well-maintained property: $500–$1,000 for the year including quarterly pest and annual lawn program. Property with active issues to address: $2,000–$5,000 first year.
Should I wait until after closing to schedule inspections?
No — that’s the entire point. Inspections done before closing give you negotiating leverage. Same inspections done after closing mean you’re paying for whatever they find.
Brandon Micalizzi is the licensed owner-operator of Unity Pest & Wildlife, based in St. Augustine, FL. He’s been serving St. Johns and Flagler Counties since 2023 as an owner-operator, with nearly a decade in the industry (since 2017). For pest, termite, wildlife, or lawn help, see all services or call (386) 597-3955.
