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Old 10-20-2008, 01:41 PM
 
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Is termite infestation a problem for homes here, and is this what it looks like? I mean the powdery stuff. Thanks.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg5/davidtr1/IMG_1220.jpg (broken link)
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Old 10-20-2008, 01:44 PM
 
Location: A little suburb of Houston
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Yikes! Could be termites, could be ants, could be dust. It would be a good idea to get an expert involved to evaluate it.
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Old 10-20-2008, 01:44 PM
 
Location: Sugar Land, TX, USA
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maybe carpenter ants?
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Old 10-20-2008, 01:47 PM
 
Location: Clear Lake, Houston TX
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Termites are pretty common in rental homes that have had the bare minimum amount of maintenance put into them. Usually that excludes termite prevention. When I was in a rental we had a termite issue and had that same exact powdery stuff. Digested wood? We also had the "tubes."
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Old 10-20-2008, 01:54 PM
 
Location: Charleston Sc and Western NC
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Is the mulch/landscaping up over your foundation line?
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Old 10-20-2008, 02:35 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EasilyAmused View Post
Is the mulch/landscaping up over your foundation line?
Sorry, I don't know what a foundation line is.
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Old 10-20-2008, 02:36 PM
 
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Any idea what this thing is? A termite?

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg5/davidtr1/IMG_1223.jpg (broken link)
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Old 10-20-2008, 03:05 PM
 
Location: Clear Lake Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by davidt1 View Post
Any idea what this thing is? A termite?
Looks like maybe a young silverfish?
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Old 10-20-2008, 03:41 PM
 
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Termites are definitely a problem here. That junk in the electrical box could very well be termite poo. You probably shouldn't have a 3-prong outlet on old 2-wire, ungrounded romex either, which brings up another point; I've seen that dust on electrical boxes underneath old wiring. The old 2-wire stuff was insulated with something like braided tar paper. Over the years a bunch of dust and particulates can slough off of it and leave little piles of junk that look just like that. It could be the case that you don't have a big problem (apart from having 3-prong outlets on an ungrounded circuit) but you probably want to have a professional termite guy take a peek at that.

And the second pic is definitely a larval silverfish.

Also, are there any spots on the sheetrock in that area that have peeling paint or appear to be slightly moist? If so you probably have termites.
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Old 10-20-2008, 03:59 PM
 
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That part of the wall is moist because the rain seeped in from the window above during the hurricane. The water was caught between the wall and another object placed against it. I forgot all about it until today.

The electrical stuff is way beyond me. Forgive the ignorance, why is a 3 prong outlets on ungrounded circuit bad?

I am getting ready to paint it. Any suggestion is appreciated. Thanks again.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg5/davidtr1/IMG_1227.jpg (broken link)
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