Erby Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 Y'all got any ideas on what this debris on the window sill is. It's a second story east facing window of a large brick veneer house. Image Insert: 87.44 KB Image Insert: 52.37 KB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 Originally posted by Erby Y'all got any ideas on what this debris on the window sill is. It's a second story east facing window of a large brick veneer house. The tan colored things look like pupal cases from ants. - Jim Katen, Oregon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepefrio Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 Probably not this, and you can ask the owner to settle it real quick but.... We have a bird, and keep the cage in front of the window. Maybe those could be the empty seed pods from the feeder? Mine looks like that, although it generally covers the entire sill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 What Jim Katen said: it looks like ant frass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Lewis Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 There are ant body parts mixed in with the frass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Hockstein Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 I agree that it looks like carpenter ants and frass. It also appears that replacement window balances and sashes have been installed (looks like "Weathershield" brand). When were the windows replaced? The ants couldd nesting in the voids behind the new sash balances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 Hi, I think Jim is right; that does look like pupa case debris. It's coming from above or it wouldn't have ended up on the edge of that screen frame. Look at the top of the casing for a slit or a little hole through which they're dropping the debris; carpenter ants are fastidious and dont' like to have trash hanging around inside they're nest and they'll dump it to the outside. Is that the sunny side of the house? Around here, they seem to prefer burrowing into the headers and jack studs around windows on sunny sides of a home and turning them into nurseries. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 Originally posted by Steven Hockstein I agree that it looks like carpenter ants and frass. It also appears that replacement window balances and sashes have been installed (looks like "Weathershield" brand). When were the windows replaced? The ants couldd nesting in the voids behind the new sash balances. Good catch on the sash kits! Personally, I would prefer to see the sash before I'd guess the brand though[:-graduat Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Hockstein Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 Me too, if I was there, I would have checked the sashes for more info. The brand was just an educated guess based on the photos provided and the balance systems I have seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted September 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2008 Thanks y'all. I appreciate the help. The seller claims original windows. About 12 years old. Water damage to the sills indicate old rather than replacement. Image Insert: 45.87 KB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted September 5, 2008 Report Share Posted September 5, 2008 Hi, Well, there's your damage - probably filled in with Fixall. They're probably in the framing around the window too. OT - OF!!! M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Hockstein Posted September 5, 2008 Report Share Posted September 5, 2008 Originally posted by Erby Thanks y'all. I appreciate the help. The seller claims original windows. About 12 years old. Water damage to the sills indicate old rather than replacement. Image Insert: 45.87 KB Is that house only 12 years old? A little drift but may be helpful... There are replacement window kits that do not require new sills or framed units. The downside of these windows is that the existing frames have to be square or they don't seal well. The best part of these windows is that you don't lose daylight because there are no additional frames required around the windows and you don't have to have white vinyl windows (you can get them with many finish options). It is a good choice in old homes where there is going to be an addition with new windows and you want to replace the rest of the windows in the house to match. There are minor aesthetic differences between the replacement and new windows but most people can not tell. Marvin and Weathershield brand windows are common in this area. A good installer can neatly replace each window in less than a half hour. For those of you that want to see how they should be installed... http://www.weathershield.com/assets/doc ... 2_vr13.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiredkilr 2 Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 from your statement and pic Im 99%positive its from Carpenter ants Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted December 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Well, Mike, thanks for your confirmation but I couldn't wait three months to deliver the report. I just went with the first four and five and told em to have a pest control guy look at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jones Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Definitely looks like carpenter ant frass. Look for a small entry/exit hole in the sill. Rob Jones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence McCann Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Reminds me of my first apartment. Every morning I'd wake up and there would be 20-30 carpenter ants around the kitchen sink. I looked high and low through that place and could never find where they coming from. After a few weeks I went to a local exterminating supply house and spoke with one of the techs there. He asked me if there were wooden doors in the place - all the interior doors were wood. He said that they nest in hollow wooden doors and to look for a little square hole in the top of the door. He also stated that if there is a square hole in the top of the door there will also be one in the bottom of the door, directly under the hole in the top of the door. I came back with a can of ant killer and looked at the top of all the interior doors and sure enough, each one had a little square hole in it. I put a piece duct tape on the bottom of the door, shot a bunch of juice in the top and then put a piece of duct tape over the top of the door. Never saw another ant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghentjr Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 I always carried a stethoscope in my truck. You suspect ants you can usually hear them, especially in hollow core doors. P.S. Note to hiredkiler above. Check the date of the posts you want to respond to so your response is still relevant to the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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