[Slsatl]

We recently started noticing a small amount of a fine salt or sugar like substance on parts of our floors and on top of a wooden farm table.



The attached picture shows the substance and is put on a black piece of cardboard paper to provide contrast. I’ve checked the ceiling, table and hardwood floor and cannot see any holes.

Any ideas as to what this may be would be greatly appreciated. I have not yet contacted my pest control company but will not hesitate to do so if necessary.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

[Bud9051]

Not a pro, but never seen or heard of that.
Do you have forced air heat?
Is the area being salted limited to what you described or is it happening in different rooms?
Your picture shows some you collected but are the crystals spread out somewhat evenly like they were blown there?

Bud

And welcome to the forum

 

[Slsatl]

Thanks for the welcome Bud!


I know, this is weird and not sure what it is or if it is even salt.



To your questions, yes, we have forced/central heat as well as an air return vent in the same room where we are finding this stuff. Your comment gave me an idea. I do have some salt on one basement concrete wall. While I change air filters religiously, I’m going to change them now to see if this does anything.


When the stuff appears, it is spread in a few areas--not like the picture where I just collected some of the stuff and put it on paper to get a good picture.


Thanks again!

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Is it water soluble?

 

[Bud9051]

Not an answer you are looking for, but frass from drywood termites is being described as looking like salt and pepper. Here is one picture:

Unlikely but the only reference to salt I could find.
Inspect the ceiling above the problem area for tiny holes.
Is that return in the ceiling above the troubled area?

Bud

 

[Yodaman]

This is a close up of common table salt. See any similarities? Close enough to taste it?

 

[Slsatl]

The stuff does not dissolve in water.
I don’t see black or brown specks mixed in with the stuff so not really sure if it’s frass but I’m going to get the pest control company out to either confirm or eliminate termites.
As for the return vent, it is on the wall and not over the areas.
Going to check some more for holes but I have not seen any in the ceiling, on the table or on the floor.

 

[Slsatl]

This is a close up of common table salt. See any similarities? Close enough to taste it?

View attachment 586547

Looks very close. Not enough to try a taste though. Will give it a try in the morning. It seems they little piles appear overnight.

 

[Yodaman]

Looks very close. Not enough to try a taste though. Will give it a try in the morning. It seems they little piles appear overnight.

If it doesn't dissolve in water, I probably wouldn't taste it.
Bring a sample of it to the police station?

 

[Nik333]

Could it be Calcium Chloride clear crystals that they might salt sidewalks & roads with?


“We have salt, we have rock salt, we have brine, we have, for extreme situations, that calcium chloride,” Dale said. “We tailor our treatment to what the storm looks like it’s going to bring so that we’re effectively treating our roadway.”


https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/gdot-treating/85-dc8493c2-fdc6-4588-949d-3c0ab27f97c3

 

[Slsatl]

Could it be Calcium Chloride clear crystals that they might salt sidewalks & roads with?


“We have salt, we have rock salt, we have brine, we have, for extreme situations, that calcium chloride,” Dale said. “We tailor our treatment to what the storm looks like it’s going to bring so that we’re effectively treating our roadway.”


https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/gdot-treating/85-dc8493c2-fdc6-4588-949d-3c0ab27f97c3

Thanks for the thought, but doubtful it is sidewalk/road salt. I live in the Atlanta area. We have not had weather so far this year where the roads have been salted and I don't salt our driveway/sidewalk when we get our freak ice/snow events.

 

[Nealtw]

Plants in the family of figs will grow cystolyths, on the leaves.

I don't anything about it but thought you might find that interesting.

 

[Slsatl]

MYSTREY SOLVED! Turns out this stuff is some type of absorbent residue inside puppy training pads. We cut the pads in half on the table and spread a few pads around the room in “strategic” locations. When we cut the pads, some of the absorbent spills out. We found that the bucket where we store the spare pads had a lot of the mystery dust at the bottom. I did a test by shaking a cut pad over a black surface...sure enough, it is the identical salt like substance.


Totally relieved we do not have the dreaded termites.


THANKS TO ALL FOR CHIMING IN!

 

[Nealtw]

Good one. Thanks

 

[Nik333]

MYSTREY SOLVED! Turns out this stuff is some type of absorbent residue inside puppy training pads. We cut the pads in half on the table and spread a few pads around the room in “strategic” locations. When we cut the pads, some of the absorbent spills out. We found that the bucket where we store the spare pads had a lot of the mystery dust at the bottom. I did a test by shaking a cut pad over a black surface...sure enough, it is the identical salt like substance.


Totally relieved we do not have the dreaded termites.


THANKS TO ALL FOR CHIMING IN!

The answer is usually the simplest one.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

The answer is usually the simplest one.

Are you certain about simple?:smile: My curious mind was doing a little research of what this product may be made of and found this excerpt rather humorous of the many in the patent link.
************************************************

• Animal excreta disposal sheet
  
  
  Patent number: 10194634
  Abstract: An absorbent member of animal excreta disposal sheet includes a first absorbent core containing at least hydrophilic fibers and a second absorbent core composed of a plurality of highly absorbent polymer particles. The plurality of highly absorbent polymer particles includes a large-diameter particle group having a plurality of large-diameter highly absorbent polymer particles, and a small-diameter particle group having a plurality of small-diameter highly absorbent polymer particles. The mass proportions of the large-diameter particle group and the small-diameter particle group are each 15-60 mass %, and the total mass proportion of the large-diameter particle group and the small-diameter particle group is at least 50 mass %.
  Type: Grant
  Filed: August 22, 2016
  Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
  Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
  Inventors: Satoshi Hasegawa, Takeshi Ikegami
  
• *********************************************
• In this link you can read it all if you desire I just don't wanna know that bad.:biggrin2:
• https://patents.justia.com/patents-by-us-classification/119/169

 

[finisher65]

The answer is usually the simplest one.

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