Pool pump motors and heat pump circuit boards have been ruined by ants. Squirrels have chewed through wires and shut down phone and electric service for several square miles. Spiders have set off smoke alarms and cockroaches have turned on/off thermostats by nesting in the coil. Here are a couple of our own cases that we handled just recently...
Phone Jack Appears OK - Click to Enlarge
ANT SABOTAGE!
Ewell Pest Control was called to a residence in Virginia Beach, VA after a Verizon Phone Repairman reported ants had damaged a phone jack.
The customer had reported to the phone company static on her phone line and after one incoming ring, the phone would go dead. After troubleshooting the lines, the repairman found this jack (Top Left) to show some corrosion. Only after removing it from the wall did he find the cause (Bottom Left).
Our Entomologist figured the ant was in search of food/moisture and when it walked across the conductors; the low voltage was enough to kill it. Formic acid, found in most ants, seeped from the ant and corroded the conductors. This caused the phone to short out!
Odorous House Ants are an increasing problem in Southeastern Virginia, finding nest sites in wall cavities and insulation.
The Cause of the Phone Line Outage - Click for More Detail
Pool Loosing Water
Termites Behind Liner
Pool Liner Removed
Small Holes in the Liner
Tears in the Liner
Entry Point at Top Vinyl Cap
Tubes in the Deep End
Termites in the Deep End
EVERYONE (TERMITES) INTO THE POOL!
When a customer in Chesapeake, VA investigated his pool water level mysteriously dropping, he found little pin holes were causing the leak. He thought some critter was getting in his pool and called Ewell Pest Control to trap the mystery animal. After inspecting the pool, our Entomologist was called in to verify termite tubes coming out of the liner.
Although not common in our area along the coast, termites have been known to seek out moisture during drought conditions. In-ground Pools are a perfect find since the termites are nesting nearby level with the source. They can get around the seams of pool material and then "nibble" little holes in the liner to get their moisture. As the water level drops, the termites will make more holes and go lower with the dropping water. Within a few months, not even repair tape can fix the liner. In this case, the whole liner had to be replaced!
We pretreated the soil at the bottom of the liner, than drilled the concrete apron surround to get a barrier behind the metal frame. After more than two years, no termites have returned to the pool.
