Robert Jones Posted July 25, 2009 Report Posted July 25, 2009 I performed a home inspection yesterday. As is my custom, I went to do the crawl space last. The crawl space access panel was open, with a piece of the under floor insulation blocking entry, first bad sign. I found a stick and moved the insulation to the side to be engulfed by a swarm of flies, second bad sign. After clearing my view of the flies, approximately 2 feet in was a dead cat, well I guess by this point would have been a carcass, third and last bad sign for me. I went back into the home and let the realtor know that the crawl needed to be cleaned out before I would go under the home. For some, going into this environment is exciting, for me, not so much. Long story short, the listing agent had the crawl cavity "cleaned" and there were 4 other carcasses removed along with "some of the fallen insulation. Here are a few picks of this beauty. Single story home built in 1907. Approx 950 sq ft. Click to Enlarge 46.42 KB Click to Enlarge 52.02 KB Click to Enlarge 39.46 KB Click to Enlarge 50.47 KB Click to Enlarge 66.31 KB Click to Enlarge 57.15 KB Click to Enlarge 49.06 KB Click to Enlarge 57.26 KB Click to Enlarge 43.31 KB
hausdok Posted July 25, 2009 Report Posted July 25, 2009 How about a little fun quiz - The responses from across the country should be interesting. 4th Picture from the top - What made this damage? 1. Rot and subterranean termites 2. Rot and powder-post beetles 3. Rot and carpenter ants 3. Rot and pacific dampwood termites 4. Rot and moisture ants 5. Rot and annobiidae (death watch beetles) 6th Photo from the top - What made this damage? 1. Rot and subterranean termites 2. Rot and powder-post beetles 3. Rot and carpenter ants 3. Rot and pacific dampwood termites 4. Rot and moisture ants 5. Rot and annobiidae (death watch beetles) 8th photo from the top - What made this damage? 1. Rot and subterranean termites 2. Rot and powder-post beetles 3. Rot and carpenter ants 3. Rot and pacific dampwood termites 4. Rot and moisture ants 5. Rot and annobiidae (death watch beetles) Rob, wait till you get a dozen or so responses before you declare a winner. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike
waynesoper Posted July 25, 2009 Report Posted July 25, 2009 I will go with the rot and powderpost although the pacific dampters I am not familiar with. Did you find any gueyduck under there, looks perfect for them.
Mark P Posted July 26, 2009 Report Posted July 26, 2009 I'll take "Rot and powder-post beetles" to $600 Alex.
SWagar Posted July 26, 2009 Report Posted July 26, 2009 I will vote for .. #4 Looks like rot and Subs, depending on the size of the fecal pellets it could be Pacific Dampwood. #6, 8 Looks like rot and Annobiidae.
Tom Raymond Posted July 27, 2009 Report Posted July 27, 2009 6 & 8 looks like powder post beetles to me. #4 has got me stumped, termites are rare here, especially ones big enough to leave pellets like that.
Jim Katen Posted July 27, 2009 Report Posted July 27, 2009 Pics 3 & 4 are rot and Pacific Dampwoods. Pics 6 & 8 are rot & Anobiids. Pic 9 is an example of Rob's photography after two beers. - Jim Katen, Oregon
Robert Jones Posted July 28, 2009 Author Report Posted July 28, 2009 OK, I don't think we're gonna get any more responses on this one. Jim is on the money. Scott was close, just wrong species of termite. Jim, it wasn't beer causing that pic, but me in the middle of wondering what the hell I was doing in that nasty crawl. It was one of those, ain't this a b****h and welcome to my world type moments:) Thanks for the replies guys.
SWagar Posted July 28, 2009 Report Posted July 28, 2009 In my defense [:-paperba , It is often hard for me to gauge the real size of things when I'm looking at a photo. We do have a pretty glamorous job don't we !!?? [:-tong2] I found these little cuties a while back ! Click to Enlarge 98.25 KB
hausdok Posted July 28, 2009 Report Posted July 28, 2009 In my defense [:-paperba , It is often hard for me to gauge the real size of things when I'm looking at a photo. We do have a pretty glamorous job don't we !!?? [:-tong2] I found these little cuties a while back ! Click to Enlarge 98.25 KB PDWT! For you easterners, the drones are about 1/2 to 5/8 inch long and the soldiers with full head on close to 3/4-inch long. I used to have a little terrarium sitting on my desk with a rotten piece of wood in it and about 5,000 PDWT. One day I forgot to put the lid back on after dropping a fresh piece of rotten wood into the tank. I left and when I came back from the job my crow was sitting on the edge of the tank drowsing and looking very bloated. Not a single termite left in the tank! ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike
Jim Katen Posted July 28, 2009 Report Posted July 28, 2009 . . . I used to have a little terrarium sitting on my desk with a rotten piece of wood in it and about 5,000 PDWT. One day I forgot to put the lid back on after dropping a fresh piece of rotten wood into the tank. I left and when I came back from the job my crow was sitting on the edge of the tank drowsing and looking very bloated. Not a single termite left in the tank! For the record, if you toast them, they taste like cashews. - Jim Katen, Oregon
Scottpat Posted July 28, 2009 Report Posted July 28, 2009 In my defense [:-paperba , It is often hard for me to gauge the real size of things when I'm looking at a photo. We do have a pretty glamorous job don't we !!?? [:-tong2] I found these little cuties a while back ! Click to Enlarge 98.25 KB Those look almost identical to the Formosan termite in size.
Tom Raymond Posted July 28, 2009 Report Posted July 28, 2009 . . . I used to have a little terrarium sitting on my desk with a rotten piece of wood in it and about 5,000 PDWT. One day I forgot to put the lid back on after dropping a fresh piece of rotten wood into the tank. I left and when I came back from the job my crow was sitting on the edge of the tank drowsing and looking very bloated. Not a single termite left in the tank! For the record, if you toast them, they taste like cashews. - Jim Katen, Oregon The termites or the cat carcases?[:-crazy] Tom
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