Thread: Can you name that rodent?

Hi all,

Just wondering what rodent or insect would cause this.

Sorry, but one of the pictures is a bit blurry.

By the way, there are no termites in my area (Montreal).

Thanks
Zane

Originally Posted by Zane Remenda

Hi all, Just wondering what rodent or insect would cause this. Sorry, but one of the pictures is a bit blurry. By the way, there are no termites in my area (Montreal). Thanks Zane

Blurry and small. I really can't get enough detail. Maybe Montreal Marmots?

Maybe carpenter ants.

Kinda looks like frass, as with Gunnar, can't see well
did you see any dead ants?
Looks liker powder post on that beam too

Carpenter ants is my first guess. Man is my second.
Rodents never push sawdust or frass out. They leave smears and filth everywhere they go. Ants are good housekeepers, so we see their sweepings outside of their homes. Look closer for small ant skeleton fragments.

Originally Posted by H.G. Watson, Sr.

Silber.

In need of a joust w/ Kristi are you ? I vote with the majority on the "sign". Looks more like what a WDO would leave behind than what a rodent would.

Originally Posted by Garry Blankenship

In need of a joust w/ Kristi are you ?

Oh, he's been insulting me for many months. He's doing his darnedest to get me to leave the forum completely. I'm so sick of it, he's nearly got his wish - I've stopped adding anything informative to discussions so he can't tell me it's all over my head, though I still ask questions.

Zane, is there water damage around the areas you found the frass, as there appears to be?

Originally Posted by Kristi Silber

Oh, he's been insulting me for many months. He's doing his darnedest to get me to leave the forum completely. I'm so sick of it, he's nearly got his wish - I've stopped adding anything informative to discussions so he can't tell me it's all over my head, though I still ask questions.

Zane, is there water damage around the areas you found the frass, as there appears to be?

............you leave = he wins. Don't let him bully you........Greg.

Again the immortal words of F. Gump speak to us through HG.

"Stupid is as stupid does."

Kristi, If you just ignore him completely and consistently, you will then have bested him.
. The probability is that he will rant himself right off the forum.
. Like all good things it just takes time and patience.

Zane,
What did it smell and taste like?

I would vote for ants and maybe a few uncles.

This would have been an excellent area and opporunity to utilize thermal imaging, probe & moisture meter, to explore and investigate.

Suspect balloon or chase (vertical cavity) unstopped to attic, at least beyond basement ceiling/floor along wall upwards.

Likely droppings, debris, including frass from other insect activities, etc. formerly caught or trapped by opportunitstic spider webbing, over many decades.

The timber shows signs of former insect and rot activity.

The recent orange tinted expanded spray foam and untreated plywood application looks to be DIY attempts at stoping moisture intrusion, cold-draft stopping and foundation insulation. Would be ineffective at fire blocking and stopping and grossly incomplete: a poor choice of materials & incorrect execution at foundation, floor/ceiling, and exterior wall cavity junctions.

Originally Posted by Gregory Booth

............you leave = he wins. Don't let him bully you........Greg.

Originally Posted by Garry Sorrells

Again the immortal words of F. Gump speak to us through HG.

"Stupid is as stupid does."

Kristi, If you just ignore him completely and consistently, you will then have bested him.
. The probability is that he will rant himself right off the forum.
. Like all good things it just takes time and patience.

Thanks, guys. I did try ignoring him for the most part, but it gets old reading again and again that the forum is over my head, or that I'm stupid (or a rodent, for that matter!), or telling me to shut up. Others just write it off as Watson just being his nasty old self again, and he gets away with it.

When everyone simply ignores rude behavior it translates into acceptance of it, and they become part of the problem. This is why he's gotten away with it for so long. One result is that people avoid posting in the forum because they don't want to deal with it (strangers have told me so in PMs).

I have time, but I've run out of patience.
..............................

Carpenter ants is my vote.

Kristi,
The forum has feature that enables you to "Ignore" individuals. You can see that they posted without seeing the content. Just sayin'.

Darrel,
Do you remember A.D. Miller who was totally and permanently ignored by the system for his comments?

Originally Posted by Garry Sorrells

Darrel,
Do you remember A.D. Miller who was totally and permanently ignored by the system for his comments?

Who is this "A.D. Miller" that you speak of?

Originally Posted by Darrel Hood

Kristi,
The forum has feature that enables you to "Ignore" individuals. You can see that they posted without seeing the content. Just sayin'.

Yes, I'm aware of that. But it's not just me he targets, and ignoring the problem doesn't solve it. Accepting rude comments in one person can lower the standard for the forum as a whole. It bothers me when anyone is especially rude to another, especially if the recipient is new to the forum and doesn't have the status (or thick skin) of a regular. It's unprofessional and shouldn't be tolerated.

I suppose this discussion should really go in the "Chit Chat" section or something. Hmmm, I just noticed the post that started it is gone.

Thanks for you input everybody.

The client just emailed me and told me the exterminator confirmed it was carpentar ants. The reason there is "fluff" on the floor is that there was poor ventilation in the room, so when someone opened the door, the sawdust would be pulled by a draft.

Thanks again
Zane

Kristi,
It is not in your power to change him.