# Bugs eating paint?



## Kdixon5720 (Oct 7, 2012)

Hi. I have newly painted trim on my house. I used the best Sherwin Williams has. I started noticing "chipping" on the edges and bottom of the vertical pieces. I thought maybe the rain had knocked off/washed off some before it completely dried. The old color was showing through. So yesterday, I primed and repainted the areas that were missing paint. I went out this morning and paint is missing on thy base of the trim again! It did not rain last night. Furthermore, there was a small painted board I had thrown on the ground and most of the new paint is gone but the old paint is in tact. There are obvious signs of bug excretion left behind. What could be causing this and how do I stop it?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Not sure how anyone would know without at least a picture.
Never heard of bugs eating paint but I have seen where termites have eaten through it.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

I will say that over the years I have had bugs be attracted to the smell of latex paint. Little black flying beetle type insects would come from nowhere and land in the fresh paint and in my paint can. BUT, I have never seen bugs that ATE the paint.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Sounds like termites eating thru the paint, especially the board on the ground leads me to believe this.


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## Kdixon5720 (Oct 7, 2012)

*Bugs!*

It's Roly poly/pill bugs!! I can't find anything online to support this but I touched up the chipped spots yesterday (again) and went out with a flashlight last night. The house was covered along the bottom and up the edgeswith pill bugs. They were still there this morning when I left before dark and once again, there were pieces of paint missing along the edges.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

where do you live?


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Ugly looking critters.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

http://outreach.mcb.harvard.edu/teachers/Summer05/ElizabethMick/PillbugBehavior.pdf

If you have wood in direct or is very close to grade the woods going to rot.
And that's just what pill bugs need.


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## Kdixon5720 (Oct 7, 2012)

joecaption said:


> http://outreach.mcb.harvard.edu/teachers/Summer05/ElizabethMick/PillbugBehavior.pdf
> 
> If you have wood in direct or is very close to grade the woods going to rot.
> And that's just what pill bugs need.


They are only eating the fresh paint and not through the old paint. And it's the manufactured hardy board siding and trim. No wood. :huh:


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