# A little pile of dust...what kind of bug?



## Denise L

Hello,

So before I call the exterminators and spend a fortune, I wanted to find out if anyone has experience with this:

I keep finding a teeny tiny pile of dark "dust" on the top edge of the electrical outlet plate that is below the vanity cabinet in the bathroom.  When I look at the bottom of the vanity cabinet directly above the tiny pile of "dust," I see where some critter/bug or creature is doing something because there is a small messy area.  Digging a hole? I am not sure what is there.  My DH says that we might remove the cabinet and see what is going on, or else call pest control.  We could also just spray some sort of poison in the area and see what happens.

When I clean up the pile of dust, it just reappears the next day, so this bug is active, probably at night? Or it is just so small, it takes all day for another small pile to appear.

I don't know what termites do, if this is what they do, or whether we have to spend a fortune on this instead of my buying tickets for four to Orlando for Thanksgiving (yes, somehow timeshare vacations are always foremost on my mind... ).

So if anyone has an idea or suggestion, I'd love to hear it.  Thanks!


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## DeniseM

Here is some info. - Scroll down to "What if I want to do my own inspection."


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## John Cummings

We had a very similar problem when we first moved into our new home. We noticed little piles of fine sawdust in some of our kitchen drawers. We called the builder who sent out their cabinet people. The house was new so it was covered by warranty. They told us it was a bug that lived in the wood but was not termites. They don't spread to other areas but just stay in that piece of wood. They said they were in the wood when the cabinets were built. The only solution was to replace the infected wood. They replaced the wood and we haven't had any problem since and that was 8 years ago.


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## helenbarnett1963

John Cummings said:


> We had a very similar problem when we first moved into our new home. We noticed little piles of fine sawdust in some of our kitchen drawers. We called the builder who sent out their cabinet people. The house was new so it was covered by warranty. They told us it was a bug that lived in the wood but was not termites. They don't spread to other areas but just stay in that piece of wood. They said they were in the wood when the cabinets were built. The only solution was to replace the infected wood. They replaced the wood and we haven't had any problem since and that was 8 years ago.



sounds like what we call "woodworm" - google this for more info!

if it is localised to one item of furniture it should be easy to clear up - in the UK we can buy cans of "woodworm killer" which you spray into holes.  no more piles of dust mean you've got them all!

it only becomes a problem if it spreads into the fabric of the house, which is unlikely if it is localised to one item of furniture - over here its only really a problem in very old houses where the wooden beams and floors have been infected for many years.


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## ricoba

If the droppings seem like little brown balls then it's probably termites.


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## Don

Carpenter ants.  We have some in a piece of driftwood by our front porch.  They leave little spots of dust under their holes.


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## GetawaysRus

Well, we called the pest control people, and I suspect that is what the OP will end up doing.

Yes, termites do leave "termite exhaust" behind (this is, after all, a polite thread). To me, these look like very small, fine pellets.

We had a different problem.  We noticed very fine powder-like particles of dust below some of our cabinets.  Also, we later realized (when the pest control people pointed it out) that there were multiple small burr holes in the wood of the cabinets.

Our uninvited guest was the powder post beetle.  Nasty bugger, and capable of spreading to infect other wood in the house.  (The little holes we saw were places where the insects had bored through the wood, allowing them to fly elsewhere.)  Apparently, this pest was already inside the wood when the cabinets were installed, and it can take many years to recognize the infestation.

Hopefully you have some other cause for your problem.  We ended up needing to do a whole house fumigation.  Powder post beetles are much harder to kill than termites - it took a higher dose of gas than termites and required a longer length fumigation.  The high dose of gas and the length of the fumigation added to the cost.


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## Denise L

Thank you to the bug experts!  I suppose it must be one of these creatures, and it is sounding like I probably do have to pay the pest control folks to come out and investigate.  Sigh.  

It is creepy seeing the little pile of dust every morning when I brush my teeth.  I wonder if I can take a close enough photo to post here.  Well, I will try that and call pest control at the same time.

I will let you know the verdict.


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## falmouth3

I was also going to suggest powder post beetle.  We had them in our barn and the crawl space of our 1850 farmhouse when we lived in Maine.  The inspector told us what it was when we bought the house and we had to get an exterminator before we moved in.


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## hvacrsteve

Youa needa toa calla the bugga busters!:annoyed: :annoyed: :annoyed: :annoyed: :annoyed: :annoyed: :annoyed: :annoyed: :annoyed:


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## Denise L

*Update:  Bug man is stumped, no idea what it is*

Hello,

Well, pest control came out today and determined that we do not have termites.  He did not know what creature might be leaving me little piles of dust.  He didn't think it was a beetle, or a woodworm, or ants.

He didn't offer any suggestions or service, either. He said he had never seen this fine pile of dark dust before.

I haven't had a chance to take a photo yet, but I will try this weekend.


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## Patri

Can you stay up at night and catch one? Put something it the hole it will stick to? The extension office may be able to identify it. Very strange.


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## Denise L

Patri said:


> Can you stay up at night and catch one? Put something it the hole it will stick to? The extension office may be able to identify it. Very strange.



Well, the mystery bug hasn't come back in two nights.  Weird.  I can't decide whether to be relieved or worried that it is going to bring more friends, lay eggs, or emerge from a cocoon!  I suppose we will just stuff some pesticide in the tiny hole and see what happens.  No new dust for two nights in a row!

Thanks for all the suggestions!


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## Tamar

I have the same problem like Denise L has!!!
Pest control came and was surprised to see the dust... no holes and no trace of bugs. The pile does not increase but miraculously appears overnight ever two weeks...


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## MULTIZ321

Note, the original thread is from 2010.


Richard


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## Tamar

MULTIZ321 said:


> Note, the original thread is from 2010.
> 
> 
> Richard


I was wondering if there is anything new on this topic!


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