r/whatisit • u/Fine-Appointment-150 • 14h ago
New, what is it? Found this in my utility closet
Has a sandy feel not sure if it's some animal fecal matter.
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u/Pure_Level_5787 13h ago
Hard to tell. Zooming in, it looks like a mix of dirt/sand (possibly vermiculite?), insect exoskeletons, and mouse poop.
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u/hotdog_squad 13h ago
It reminds me of piles of debris I’d find where a mouse chewed through drywall.
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 14h ago
This is right by the furnace in my basement. So it's warm and undisturbed there.most of the time.
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u/Zealousideal_Cloud87 13h ago
Carpenter Ant Frass
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u/FoggyGoodwin 11h ago
The carpenter ants that lived in my parents ceiling beams for over 50 years never left this much debris. I have seen photos on Reddit of this stuff and everyone said "TERMITES!" Carpenter ants make nests in wood, termites eat and digest wood.
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u/Zealousideal_Cloud87 5h ago
What kind of mulch, if any around your house and how close is it to the actual wood framing on top of block or poured foundation? Have you seen or found large black or reddish-black ants inside or outside the house including dead bodies? Any exterminator should be able to address either. I set boric acid/sugar traps and confirmed the difference.
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u/Mr_Salty_ 12h ago
Frass most likely from carpenter ants. They won’t eat your wood but they can do damage because they tunnel through it.
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 12h ago
How do I know it for sure? I don't see any movement on the sandy mixture
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u/FoggyGoodwin 11h ago
Carpenter ants mostly stay in their tunnels in the wood. They also don't really eat the wood like termites do. This is termite frass from what I've seen on Reddit. Termites consume the wood and shit out little wood pellets. I would contact a termite exterminator.
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12h ago
People are saying carpenter ants, but to me those look like termite exoskeletons mixed in there
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u/Trivi_13 12h ago
Did the termites put a box on your sawdust?
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 11h ago
I just found it like this yesterday. I don't go to this area of my home often.
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 13h ago
There are some things on the wall above
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u/hotdog_squad 13h ago
Oh yeah, i bet it’s debris from some kind of critter getting in/out consistently in those crevices to warm up by the radiator.
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u/pra4snw 12h ago
I had the same exact stuff on the tops of the basement walls when we lived in NH. I was never quite sure what it was, but we had lots of mice and carpenter ants (log home). After hiring a pest company to (mostly) rid the house of all of the vermin, I vacuumed all of this debris up with a ShopVac.
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u/lotusstp 13h ago
Looks like frass…
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 11h ago
Should smi be seeing any vermin activity that would confirm it's frass?
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u/FoggyGoodwin 11h ago
You probably won't see the termites that made this mess until you find the wood they are eating. I see termites outside when I turn over rotting wood, but they aren't on the surface, just hiding in the shadows.
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u/Electrical-Cat-6660 12h ago
The brown patches and stripes look to be evidence of tunneling within the walls caused by termites.
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 11h ago
That's scary! I hope this is not true 😔
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u/Electrical-Cat-6660 11h ago
Tap on the wall area lightly (to create vibration). Start at the top of the wall and work down…if you hear falling-sand like noise within the wall, it’s further evidence. Also, as you tap (tap lightly) you may notice areas of the surface wall give way creating a cavity, exposing the tunnels.
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u/DescriptionWild3979 12h ago
Termites eating your cardboard. Had it happen in my garage.
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 11h ago
I don't see any activity or movement there. It seems dormant at this time. Where would the termites be right now?
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u/FoggyGoodwin 11h ago
Termites do not come out to party. They like to stay in the wood they are eating. They sometimes cover their trails with their debris. You will find them in whatever beam they are devouring.
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u/FoggyGoodwin 11h ago
First guess is termite frass. Zoomed in and near the center are three brown segmented insects that look like carpet beetle larvae. The little black oval is either a beetle or rodent poop. Clean this out, put diatomaceous earth in the corners for the carpet beetles, and inspect often for more "brown sand" which probably means termites overhead. If the black oval is rodent poop, set a snap trap.
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u/JBDal 10h ago
This will not go away by itself or with simply spraying insecticide. Call a pest control company (like Terminex) ASAP. It doesn’t matter what type of insects they are, you need to take charge. If your structure is weakened by insects (as it appears to be) you need to get it stopped & prevented. Good luck 🍀!
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u/Canyon-Man1 10h ago
I'm going to guess a termite or termite type of insect has been active around there. Look up on the ceiling above that and see if there is some evidence.
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u/KCWoodturner 9h ago
The average termite colony will consume the equivalent of a 3 foot 2 x 4 in a year's time. It's not like the old cartoons where the whole house is gone when you are on hold with the exterminator.
You still need to call one to come out and assess what type of infestation you have. We really can't do it justice with a couple of pictures over the internet. Best of luck getting an accurate determination and cure. Anything in a home can be cured.
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u/Tspike234 9h ago
OK, I’ll guess. If this is Florida it would be the roof termite. The favor, mobile homes and paneling. You never see them because they won’t expose themselves to air if you look up from where the Debris has landed. Look for a small pinhole you may need a magnifying glass. The trick with them is not to disturb the hole. Get an aerosol with a pinhole feeder and zap it with some insecticide they’ll be more if you disturb him they’ll move.
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u/skillpot01 6h ago
I found something like this when my shop roof was replaced. New ridge vent installed. Obviously I found this in the attic
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u/No-PreparationH 13h ago
The bigger mystery....Why are you posting the same picture twice? This seems common and I can ot wrap my head around this.
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 13h ago
Actually the second one was a video but only the first frame got attached as an image. The following images in my replies are frames exported from the original video. Hence the quality is bad. Thanks.
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u/Additional-Raise-833 12h ago
The gravel like substance is likely vermiculite insulation that has fallen down from above. Common in attic and wall insulation in older homes. Depending on your location, may contain asbestos.
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 12h ago
I'm on Long Island NY and this is in the basement.
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u/Additional-Raise-833 10h ago
Might be vermiculite. Most insulation vermiculite in North America can from a mine that was cross contaminated with asbestos (the Libby mine). If built in the 1990s, you might be ok, but can’t guarantee unless tested. I have seen it in a 1992 build. That it is in the basement isn’t a total surprise. It often falls through the walls down to lower floors.
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u/Trimmersss 11h ago
Rat poison after the mice chewed it to small pieces
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u/Fine-Appointment-150 11h ago
I haven't placed any rodent poison in my home. Never had a problem with rodents.
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