We have recently noticed a hole in our 80-year old wood floor that seems to be accumulating frass around it each night. The frass appears to be comprised mostly of dead insect (small, ant-sized opaque shells, almost like a molt) than sawdust. I have noticed distnct insect parts like heads with visible mandibles in the frass.
I invited an exterminator to come examine the damage and he automatically blamed termites because he "saw mud" in the hole. I, however, argued that what he thought was mud was actually wood putty from a pervious fix by the previous owner and spat on the "mud" and scrubbed it vigorously to prove my point. I also tried to point out to him that the frass was not sawdust, but was actual dead insects, but I guess his eyes weren’t so good.
Anyway, my real question here is now he has us beleiving we have termites even though my gut feeling is leaning toward caprenter ants, and is trying to sell us a 00 treatment (knocked down from 00 with "special discounts") even though there are zero mud lines to be seen, there is frass consistent with carpenter ant activity and we have even found small black ants near the hole… not to mention we live in Denver, where I have been told termites barely even exist.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts as to what this might be.
Thanks for your time.
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Technorati Tags: black ants, carpenter ant, dead insects, exterminator, gut feeling, Insect, mandibles, molt, mud, sawdust, shells, termites, thanks for your time, wood floor, wood putty
