# Strange dust.... what is it??



## jeffpas (Feb 21, 2011)

Okay, I baffled.
In this building, which has concrete walls with stucco outside, and plaster inside, the room has a window with an air conditioner vented.
The seal is of course, less than perfect and any bug could easily get in.
However, I've seen none.

This is an apartment I'm renovating, and I run the air when I'm in there as its super hot and humid here right now.
Now one day I went to the window and saw all this 'sawdust' in the left corner of the window sill. To date I've seen not a single ant, termite, or bug, anywhere. I swept it all up puzzled with a vaccuum. 
Now its back again.

I can't see any holes or damage to the window sill. I can't really see anything except the dust, which has returned.
I've seen what may be carpenter ants, but wayyy on the other side of the building and never inside, just in the yard and on the deck. I found their colony and have applied ant killer, months ago. But even if it was carpenter ants, you'd think you'd see at least one, at some point here.
And its just in this one spot... same as before. Nowhere else.

So what the heck is it, and what is causing it to happen?


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

If its near an operating part of the window, it can be the dust from moving the components against one another, but I am always worried about infestation sources bugs.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Sure looks like trouble.
With the back end of a screw driver tap the wood all over and see if you find a soft spot.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Do a little light probing of the wood components with an Awl.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Is it granular? If termites, often you can just watch the little pieces being dropped out of a hole directly above. I know you said no holes, but...


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

What it is partly depends on where you live.
Both carpenter ants and Powder Post Beetles will leave frask like that.


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## jeffpas (Feb 21, 2011)

As I've said I've seen what I think are carpenter ants, but clear on the other side of the building. Large black ants with grey striped abdomens. I put ant bait all around the outside and powdered the nest in the yard twice earlier in the year.
I have never seen any in the house, just on the painted deck and as I said the building is concrete pour with plaster walls. Although there's lumber in there in places.
Central Illinois.
I tapped around and everything seemed solid before, but I'll look again when I'm over there tomorrow.


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## jeffpas (Feb 21, 2011)

http://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/household/termites/ent-2008/

"[Powder post beetle] Infestations in homes are almost always due to infestation of the wood prior to construction."

Well this house was built in 1923. If that is the case... then they're been in there a looong time!
It seems as if I should wish it were carpenter ants over this. The article goes on to say that treatment can cost tens of thousands, involving an airtight gas tent over the entire structure for several days. Gotta love Google, always there to stoke your worse fears lol.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

joecaption said:


> What it is partly depends on where you live.
> Both carpenter ants and Powder Post Beetles will leave frask like that.


frass


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## jeffpas (Feb 21, 2011)

Well you won't believe what I discovered. I have never seen anything like this before. 

I pulled the blinds away and behind the top bar was a round white ball, covered in tiny scorpion-like creatures. Apparently, the frass was their droppings. I got a picture of one (attached).
Its a bit of a close-up, they are pretty small.
There was no unsound wood anywhere, or any holes in the plaster I can see.
What the heck??!

I sprayed with Ortho and they promptly died. Whether an angry mother is coming back for vengeance has yet to be seen.....


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## bestpestboston (Aug 3, 2017)

I was going to say carpenter ants or beetles but what in the world are those?


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## jeffpas (Feb 21, 2011)

Well since being sprayed I had someone help me paint, and before I realized it they had wiped the wall down and painted over the window, so the strange little creatures are gone forever. I have no idea other than they were either building or came from that almost perfectly round white ball, and made quite a lot of frass.

As we say here in Springfield, "Now it belongs to the ages...."
:vs_cool:


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

I forgot to include these - pseudo-scorpions. http://bugguide.net/node/view/279659 Can't tell from the pic if the abdomens were round. That was a nice ending, though.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)




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## jeffpas (Feb 21, 2011)

I would guess the angry mother looks like a Psuedo Scorpion. Also I'll not be sleeping overnight there thanks lol.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

It says they're harmless.:biggrin2:


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## That Guy (Aug 19, 2017)

this comes to mind.....


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## subbuilder (Jun 20, 2016)

They could also have been baby "jumping spiders". GA, OK, TX areas.


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