Flying Critters

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wudnhed

wudnhed

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Nov 14, 2006
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Brawley, CA, USA.
We are having a bug problem in our front bathroom tub. Our granddaughters usually use that shower but they have been gone on vacation for a month or more so no water down the drain for awhile. I found what looked like a flying ant in that bathroom, I opened the shower door and there were about 30 to 40 of these critters by the drain. I keep running hot water down the drain and then spraying a powerful killer and closing the door so they don't penetrate the rest of the house but when I check there are several back in the tub, luckily dead. Any ideas as to what this is?
 

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Becca,

Unfortunately this will require some investigation.

You'd like to know where they live. I had a nest of hornets (wasps) in an outside wall, that came through the drywall into the shower. Wasn't a pleasant job, but I was able to wait until winter, remove a lot of drywall and then remove the nest (2 feet high, by 18" -between two studs) Kind of important to find their home, or they will NEVER be GONE.

Yukky work --- if YOU do it, make sure you get that Lobster dinner at the local restaurant as your reward. (I'd much rather buy the dinner than attack the nest!!)
 
ed4copies said:
I trust this means YOU will be buying HIM the lobster????
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Nice try Ed, we are on very, very low cholesterol diets for his health. He will get a very nice salad and maybe a fruit smoothie for desert. I guess its good for us :frown::frown::frown::frown::frown::frown::)
 
Poor guy, lately he hasn't dunked his head in any kind of butter, real or fake. Besides, from what I understand, margarine is only one molecule away from being plastic:eek::eek::eek::eek:
 
When ED gets into a conversation, you never know what direction it will take. Hes just that kind of guy and we love it, LOL!
 
Back to the original question, they are almost certainly termites. I don't believe there is any such thing as a "flying termite", just plain old termites. When termite swarm to find another area to nest, a percentage of the colony grow wings and depart with the new queen, similar to bees. Since they still have the wings there are most likely two possibilities.

1. They are a new swarm looking to nest in your house. This shouldn't be a big deal since you found them early and they won't have done too much damage.

2. They have been in your house for quite some time and they have just now gotten the urge to swarm. In this case you will have significant damage to repair. Been there done that:(

Down here in Georgia, there are basically two types of homes, those that have gotten termites and those that will.

Good Luck.

Jim Smith
 
That does not look like a termite to me; but it is hard to tell from the picture.

You really need to take a few dead bodies to a professional and get a proper identification. Might be termites from a swarm or it might be some bugs who happened to find their way through your plumbing.

When swarming termites are found in a house generally they are found on and around window sills as the are attracted to the light and are looking for a way out of the house.

The above based on two differentencounters with termites so I am not anything close to an expert.
 
You could consider sending them to your local Ag agent if you have one. If they don't know what it is, they will know someone who does, as they are usually affiliated with a university with entemologists, and they can also likely tell you how to treat it--depending on how lonely your ag agent is, you might learn more than you ever wanted to know about the bug!!
 
wudnhed said:
You have got to be kidding, right????? They have all gone down the drain but if you want to come and scoop them out of the septic tank in our back yard, have at it!:eek::biggrin:
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I was serious, but I'm not going into another septic tank again no matter what.
 
Becca,
I'm no expert by any stretch of imagination, but I do think Randy is correct... not termintes, but might be carpenter ants... I think they swarm the same as termites and I've seen some in and around my shower...
 
I don't know what a swarming carpenter ant looks like; but the picture does not look like workers I see in the wood pile every so often.

My thinking is that this some sort of bug that came through the drain pipes in your home and were able to get into the house since the tub had been unused for a month and the water had evaporated out of the trap allowing the bugs free passage. Now that you have run some water down the drain, the trap is again sealed with water and that avenue of approach is sealed off. If the bags are some that are living inside your house, I would expect they might continue to swarm for a while and you will find more of them?:confused:

Sarah's idea is a good one too. And even if you don't have an extension office close by; you could find the email addy for one in your area and email them the picture you have and see what sort of comments they have.
 
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Having recently dealt with carpenter ants, they feed on termites and follow them around. If you have termites, carpenter ants will take care of them. Taking care of the carpenter ants is another story. I had terminex take care of the whole thing and they are gone.
 
Randy_ said:
My thinking is that this some sort of bug that came through the drain pipes in your home and were able to get into the house since the tub had been unused for a month and the water had evaporated out of the trap allowing the bugs free passage. Now that you have run some water down the drain, the trap is again sealed with water and that avenue of approach is sealed off. If the bags are some that are living inside your house, I would expect they might continue to swarm for a while and you will find more of them?:confused:
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I think this is probably the best scenario. I haven't found anymore since putting bug stuff and water down the drain.

Note to self: use the front bathroom!
 
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