What Is This Stuff?
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Kelly Christianson on Oct 02, 2013If you have old plaster and lath walls, it could be the plaster disintegrating into dust. Every time the house moves, dust will fall. Just a thought...Helpful Reply
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Carole on Oct 02, 2013Get someone out to check for woodworm, borer or termites, whatever you get in your area. My friend had this. It seems something is chewing through your timber. You need to act fast as you don't know what damage might be beneath the walls and in your roof and floorboards. Please don't delay in getting this sorted/treated as the damage critters can do to the framework of your home is phenomenal and very expensive to repair if left unchecked.Helpful Reply
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Erika K on Oct 03, 2013Thanks, everyone. Will definitely look into it.Helpful Reply
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Thom Cincotta Custom Renovation & Repair, LLC on Oct 03, 2013I agree with Carole and Bruno - most likely caused by insects unless something else is causing vibration along that wall (washer/dryer? your drum set?)Helpful Reply
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Bonnie Lewenza on Oct 04, 2013I had this down in my basement as the walls are plastered and my house is 100 years old. I got out my steamer and blasted them and haven't had a problem since. Nothing can survive them hot temps.Helpful Reply
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Holly VanScyoc on Oct 04, 2013Yes I agree if thi sis wood better check for termites, They are invasive and will quickly turn a beautiful home into a bottomless money pit for all the repairs and insect sprays you will be doing/buying Good Luck!Helpful Reply
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Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com on Oct 04, 2013I doubt termites but carpenter ants is a possibility. Or you have a critter such as a mouse making a home behind the wall area. It is time to call a pest pro for this one. It appears to be what is called Frass commonly left behind carpenter ants.Helpful Reply
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Erika K on Oct 08, 2013Thanks, everyone. We've had two estimates and both said carpenter ants -- which is a much better problem to have than termites!Helpful Reply
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Keller Pest Control on Oct 08, 2013Hey Kelly not trying to rain on your parade but that's not necessarily true since Carpenter Ants go hand in hand with termites. Termites are 90% sugar water and ants especially carpenter ants love them. And carpenter ants do as much damage as termites just different termites eat wood or cellulose out of wood. Carpenter ants just destroy it and live inside of the wood. The dust in the picture was it wood shavings? . It looks more greyish. How old is your house? Does it have lath and plaster or newer construction type wood. Is there any small ants running around that area. May not be carpenter ants may be ground nesting ant bringing up dirt. Or termites. But may also be just natural decay from moisture is there any leaks or caulking needed. It does not look like carpenter ant frass from the picture. Do you see any large black ants in that area of the house or on the outside. Or for that matter anywhere around the house. Look for eraser size hole around the house with ants coming in and out. The company should have been able to use an aerosol material and flushed them out of the wall for you to see.1 marked as helpful Reply
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Keller Pest Control on Oct 08, 2013It really looks like clumps of drywall or plaster not wood, Could just be old decaying drywall or plaster or insulation.Helpful Reply
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Gail on Apr 28, 2015Did this home ever have blown in insulation. We had some in our attic and it was forever creeping down in strange places. I know lots of houses had it blown in the walls from holes on the outside.Helpful Reply
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Omniman on Jun 03, 2015animals.....lil onesHelpful Reply
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Dej1525119 on Jun 03, 2015powder post bugs... have seen this before. https://www.google.com/search?q=powder+post+beetles&rlz=1C1ASUT_enAU495AU495&espv=2&biw=1067&bih=523&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ByBvVZ2FJcKvsAWk6YHgCQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&dpr=1.5#imgrc=yKyE5waLOO9zLM%253A%3Bd4YLamg6FzAC5M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F0.tqn.com%252Fw%252Fexperts%252FPest-Control-1500%252F2012%252F06%252Fphoto1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fen.allexperts.com%252Fq%252FPest-Control-1500%252F2012%252F6%252Fpotential-powder-post-beetles.htm%3B640%3B480Helpful Reply
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Danette Overdorff on Sep 07, 2015A wood bores!Helpful Reply
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Kincaid99 on Dec 05, 2015we had a stucco house with plaster walls with red brick between them, we had red dust come out the baseboards, so we knew it was the dust from the bricks. I just put some wood filler along the baseboard to stop the red dust from collecting on the floor.Helpful Reply
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Snapoutofit on Dec 06, 2015From Carpenter Ants?Helpful Reply
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UpState on Dec 10, 2015Probably those stinking baby squirrels...night time activities for the young ones. So annoying !Helpful Reply
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Darrel Rose on Dec 16, 2015or it could be termites, my mother had the same thing in her sunroom so she had a exterminator come out to look and he said TermitesHelpful Reply
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B. Enne on Dec 16, 2015Here is a useful link on insect frass: http://www.termite-control.com/termite-infested-homes/protection/is-sawdust-a-sign-of-termites/ It could also be drywall or plaster dust since it is very white, or DE (diatomaceous earth) sprinkled in outlets or behind baseboards to keep insects away.Helpful Reply
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Nancy on Mar 21, 2016You may have termitesHelpful Reply
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Becky on Mar 21, 2016We had that when we lived in base housing in Hawaii. I thought it was termites, but the bug guy came out and said it was actually sort of an "ant cemetery" . When its full, it spills out from under the wall.Helpful Reply
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Martha on May 11, 2016I'm thinking carpenter ants. We had insulation dust falling from around a ceiling light fixture. Then we found winged ant bodies on a window sill. Carpenter ants! They tunnel in wood (in our case, insulation) and build colonies there. They go outside to get food -- they are not the same kind of ants that are sometimes a problem in kitchens. There are several sizes of ants in the colony. You didn't say where you live. Here in the Northwest, carpenter ants are more common than termites.Helpful Reply
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Smi2142518 on Jun 08, 2016Definitely termitesHelpful Reply
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Judy on Sep 13, 2016termites leave sawdust....Helpful Reply
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Jamie on Oct 21, 2016I recently had carpets cleaned. The owner told me if base boards and crown molding are not secured tightly the dust would accumulate at the base board. If there were carpet it would be darker. Forced air (heat ) blows across floor.Helpful Reply
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Smi2142518 on Oct 22, 2016I still say termites. Termites appeared x and x again!Helpful Reply
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Judy on Oct 22, 2016Is it wood? Insulation? or something else....termites go after wood...and they leave sawdust....hard to tell by a picture what it is. Almost looks like asbestos....hope not.Helpful Reply
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Gina Valdez on Oct 22, 2016Get some diatomaceous earth and a condiment bottle with a pointy top. After you vacuum up the dust... spray the DE under there and on the top of the baseboard. Work it in... then remove the excess. DE kills termites and it doesn't harm pets. Also kills ants, roaches, centipedes - most bugs.Helpful Reply
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We28518635 on Oct 22, 2016a friend had carpenter ants and her window sills looked just like this If I were you I would have an inspection by a professional.Helpful Reply
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Roxanne Radabaugh on Oct 23, 2016TermitesHelpful Reply
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Ajo13003706 on Oct 29, 2016TermitesHelpful Reply
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