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something is eating our house

memaillady | Posted in General Discussion on November 6, 2013 01:04am

We have an (insect?) problem above our window in the wood framing. Yes, it was a leaking window when we’d have a hard rain. We started noticing debri falling onto the inner window sill – it’s like a very very fine sawdust, both dark and light. We finally tore the window apart this summer and found some partially tunnelled wood (insect)- the wood having water marks and small amount of decay from moisture. We cleaned it all up to solid wood, cleaned up the tracks to the window, sprayed some killer stuff in there although we saw no insects. The rain, it appeared, had entered into cracks in our aging siding in the wall and skirted under our windows flashing. We re-flashed, patched and put it all back together. A few weeks later the fine debris started falling on the inside window sill again – not as much, yet, but definately happening. We can only guess at the insects possibly being very tiny light colored ant like things that we have occasionally seen over the years  squeezing through seams in a couple other windows. What are these tiny things – how do we stop them- and do we have to tear down the house further to get at them??? Any advice out there?

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  1. DanH | Nov 06, 2013 08:17pm | #1

    Could be carpenter ants, wasps, termites, several others.  Try to catch a few specimens and take them to your local university extension service office for identification.

    One of the joys of global warming is that termites are moving farther north, but generally termites work from the ground up and will have eaten your framing to bits before they attack the window frames.

  2. Piffin | Nov 08, 2013 10:00am | #2

    agreeing with Dan on this

    IF the only place you see this is above a window it is more likely Carpenter ants than termites.

    I highly suggest a pest control company for this one.

    If you are determined to go the DIY and cheap or organic route, I have other suggestions...Reply with zip code or general area

    1. DanH | Nov 08, 2013 06:34pm | #3

      An interesting thing about carpenter ants is that, at least in theory, they don't eat solid wood, but only consume wood that's already rotten, due to water leaks, etc.

      1. Piffin | Nov 09, 2013 05:24pm | #4

        Not quite so Dan. They need to be near water, but that water does not have to be in their immediate presense. They will burrow into good wood to build a nest, and then rot is caused as they drag bacteria and moisture in along with them

        1. DanH | Nov 10, 2013 08:01am | #5

          I'm just repeating what I read from a reasonably authorative source a few months ago.  Which is why I said "in theory".

          1. User avater
            MarkH | Nov 10, 2013 05:30pm | #6

            Well, I said it sounds like termites because  to quote the OP "We can only guess at the insects possibly being very tiny light colored ant like things that we have occasionally seen over the years  squeezing through seams in a couple other windows." That doesn't sound like carpenter ants.  

  3. User avater
    MarkH | Nov 10, 2013 06:45pm | #7

    Termites match the description better, from your second link.  Powder post beetles look like small dark brown beetles.  I have carpenter bees, they are the most destructive and intimidating insects I have had to deal with.  Termites and beetles are sneaky, carpenter bees are in your face, literally.

    1. DanH | Nov 10, 2013 08:34pm | #8

      But the hallmark of the powderpost beetles is the dust, and the OP in particular mentions that.

      1. User avater
        MarkH | Nov 10, 2013 09:09pm | #9

        Here's a link, read all of it and see if termites may be the OP problem, especially the dust (turds). http://www.termite-control.com/termite-infested-homes/protection/termite-wood-dust/

      2. Hokuto | Jun 08, 2014 10:30am | #13

        Late dust!

        I dunno the definition of "dust" in this scenario, but the carpenter ants certainly leave quite a bit of detritus, whether "dust" or not.

  4. Don_from_I270 | Nov 13, 2013 08:56am | #10

    something is eating our house reply

    I feel your pain.  I live in an end unit townhouse, three stories that includes a ground level walkout basement (through a sliding glass door), in suburban Maryland, about 30 years old, brick front and side and Masonite siding on the back.  I have a small elevated deck, with the ledger board bolted through the Masonite.  The Masonite was rotting, letting water in.  Two years ago, I discovered that carpentar ants had established nests in the walls, and had chewed a two foot diameter hole, *completely* through the beams over the ground level door, and some of the load bearing studs nearby.

    I was outraged at the situation.  Besides not having $40,000 to piss away on this, I am a fair-to-middlin' DIY guy.  Although just having suffered two heart attacks that nearly killed me, I rolled up my sleves and got to work.  I demo'd the deck, and the ground level siding.  I shored up the main floor beams to temporarily carry the weight of the rest of the house.  I R&R'd the rotted beams.  As I came across any live nests, I sprayed and stomped and crushed and cursed the little )(*&^%$#@ and their eggs.  Everything in the wall got a liberal spritz of diatomaceous earth powder.  The new deck has been framed, and siding is just being started.

    Neighbors have come by to gawk.  I tell them to be afraid, be very afraid.  My HOA has been so very helpful.  Besides kvetching about how long the job is taking, they pester me about the color of the replacement trim they want me to use.  I love those folks about as much as I do the ants. 

  5. jerrygl | Jan 27, 2014 06:59pm | #11

    RE: Something Eating House

    I know this post is a bit old, but what would be important to know is where your house is located. I had a similar problem on a house in Florida and found out there is something called a dry wood termite. In my case they entered between a tiny joint in the aluminum of my windows and created a 1/32" hole in the wood. That is the size of a pen dot. The droppings or dust can be taken to a pest specialist and they should be able to determine what made them. Termites create what are called "pellets" six sided poops as it were. In my case I had vacuumed and sprayed insecticide for two seasons myself before I saw the "swarming" wings scattered by the windows. as it turns out, you will never see the critters until they have a large enough nest that they need to swarm, which they will do during the start of the wet season in Florida. They usually can only fly for about 3-500 feet from their original location and lose their wings when they have found cellulose material of any kind. I freaked out after I found I had termites and found the little buggers tunnelling in rolls of toilet paper, paper towels and even in between a couple of pieces of wood that were stacked on one another.... Wherever they landed they started eating....They even ate through a plastic 5 gallon bucket they had fallen into.Teeny tiny holes.... even my kitchen cabinets had a few holes in them....Really scary. I paid what I considered big money to a pest control guy and we will see this year how well he did. From what I saw, it almost seems futile to me short of replacing all the affected wood. But there was a warranty so I am willing to see how it goes.

    Best of Luck......

  6. Hokuto | Jan 27, 2014 08:23pm | #12

    carpenter ants et al

    We have carpenter ants here, based on discoveries I made when redoing the siding a few years ago. They don't seem to need much/any moisture. They also definitely leave dust. We have a cathedral ceiling LR, a hip roof supported by two long beams, and we noticed dust--and bits of dead ants--on the floor under a beam in a couple of locations one summer. I drilled some small holes in the vicinity and sprayed in insecticide and a number of living specimens dropped out; since then they haven't returned--so far. Knock on wood. Also from what I read then, termites live in the ground and build tube tunnels up from the ground to the wood level. Unfortunately, if the foundation isn't on a slab, the tubes can be on the inside where difficult to see.

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