Insect in wall pushing out small, dark spheres - Ask Extension
Hello,
At first I thought dust/dirt had collected in a corner of my home about 2 feet down from the ceiling. When I removed it, more started appea...
Knowledgebase
Insect in wall pushing out small, dark spheres #871828
Asked June 05, 2024, 11:05 PM EDT
Hello,
At first I thought dust/dirt had collected in a corner of my home about 2 feet down from the ceiling. When I removed it, more started appearing. Upon closer inspection, I could see that something was pushing the material out through four narrow cracks. I could see legs or antenna (not sure). I am assuming the darker material are eggs, but, again not sure. I have attached a photo of two adjacent cracks, with a ruler to give a sense of scale.
Any thoughts or insight you can provide would be helpful. Also, if this is something that I can treat, I would appreciate knowing that I don't have to call in a professional.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Jeff
Carroll County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello Jeff,
The debris and behavior you observed (especially if the insect you caught a glimpse of was dark-bodied and not pale) sounds like it's due to ants. Ants will retain their eggs in the nest, but they do make "trash piles," where dead ants, debris from tunneling, or any other refuse is carried out of the nest and tossed into a pile, somewhat like a landfill. Some ants nest in damaged wood (often from water leaks), like Carpenter Ants, but others might nest in a wall void or other available space (even among insulation). You can try putting out ant bait traps (which type of bait to get is hard to predict and may take some trial-and-error, since they can be interested in different bait ingredients at different times). However, if you haven't noticed foraging ants wandering around in the home, it's questionable how effective they will be, since the ants would need to locate and utilize the bait in order to poison the colony. There might be some home-use pesticides used to apply inside a crack or crevice that they would consume instead, but we do not have much information on those, so you may need to consult with a pest control professional for your options.
Some small wood-boring beetles can be nuisance pests indoors as well, but this activity doesn't seem to align with what you would see in that case. (The debris pile would be more like pale sawdust, coming from a single rounded hole.)
Termites can deposit frass (poop, in their case, mixed with sawdust) pellets, and we can't rule that out based on the photo, though would not expect it to remain stuck to the wall (collecting on the floor would be more likely). Termites cover any exposed foraging trails with mud tubes, like covered tunnels, but that might not be readily visible if they are not traveling outside of the wall. Here too, an inspection from a pest control professional might be valuable. Termite damage is fortunately slow-paced, so unless damage is already extensive, you likely have lots of time to decide what action to take (rarely are there DIY options, at least with regards to pesticide application), if they are confirmed to be termites.
Miri
The debris and behavior you observed (especially if the insect you caught a glimpse of was dark-bodied and not pale) sounds like it's due to ants. Ants will retain their eggs in the nest, but they do make "trash piles," where dead ants, debris from tunneling, or any other refuse is carried out of the nest and tossed into a pile, somewhat like a landfill. Some ants nest in damaged wood (often from water leaks), like Carpenter Ants, but others might nest in a wall void or other available space (even among insulation). You can try putting out ant bait traps (which type of bait to get is hard to predict and may take some trial-and-error, since they can be interested in different bait ingredients at different times). However, if you haven't noticed foraging ants wandering around in the home, it's questionable how effective they will be, since the ants would need to locate and utilize the bait in order to poison the colony. There might be some home-use pesticides used to apply inside a crack or crevice that they would consume instead, but we do not have much information on those, so you may need to consult with a pest control professional for your options.
Some small wood-boring beetles can be nuisance pests indoors as well, but this activity doesn't seem to align with what you would see in that case. (The debris pile would be more like pale sawdust, coming from a single rounded hole.)
Termites can deposit frass (poop, in their case, mixed with sawdust) pellets, and we can't rule that out based on the photo, though would not expect it to remain stuck to the wall (collecting on the floor would be more likely). Termites cover any exposed foraging trails with mud tubes, like covered tunnels, but that might not be readily visible if they are not traveling outside of the wall. Here too, an inspection from a pest control professional might be valuable. Termite damage is fortunately slow-paced, so unless damage is already extensive, you likely have lots of time to decide what action to take (rarely are there DIY options, at least with regards to pesticide application), if they are confirmed to be termites.
Miri
Miri,
Thank you for your thoughtful response. We have two professionals scheduled to come out tomorrow to assess the situation, but having your informed, unbiased review (albeit virtual) will help me discuss options with them tomorrow.
Thank you again!
Sincerely,
Jeff
You're welcome! If they determine the organism responsible is something else, feel free to let us know.
Just to follow up… it turned out to be termites after all. We have professionals come in to assess the situation and propose eradication strategies.
Thank you again for your time.
Sincerely,
Jeff
You're welcome, and thank you for the follow-up, that's good to know (well...sort of).
Miri
Miri
