What big, bad monster could be living under my skirting board?

July 5, 2017 1:40 PM

Hi hive mind, An unseen dweller has taken residence underneath my skirting board and I have no idea who/what it could be. Throughout the day, we will find bits of dirt or little black stones emanating from a singular location from the skirting board. http://imgur.com/a/wtyqL Our research has indicated it could be a beetle or ants or ... the list goes on. Has anyone else seen this before and know what it is and more importantly, how to get rid?
posted by SRMorris to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

That looks like carpenter ant or termite frass. Those in the know can identify which by inspecting the frass, a.k.a. bug poop, and testing its smearability.
posted by defreckled at 2:26 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Oh boy, that sure looks like termite frass to me. I'd call an exterminator, but ask for references etc first and maybe get a couple opinions.
posted by fshgrl at 6:11 PM on July 5, 2017

Termites! Yikes. Call in a termite expert however I am a big advocate for tenting rather than localized treatment. The piece of mind that everything is dead is so worth it. Also, there is a very good chance of additional activity somewhere else in the house that is going unnoticed.

You can try banging on some exterior walls above electrical outlets then removing the faceplates to see what's there. My guess is that you will find more casings. Good luck and I'm sorry.
posted by saradarlin at 11:03 PM on July 5, 2017