Crawl Space Encounters Of The Less Than Pleasant Kind

Q.I do a lot of annual termite reinspections. Most of the houses in my area are built with crawl spaces. Recently, while inspecting crawl spaces for termites, I have noticed something I cannot identify. I have enclosed a sample for your inspection. It appears to be some type of insect. I am wondering whether it is a type of wood-destroying pest or something new to my area. Can you identify it? (J.E.)

A. I should begin by pointing out that the sample sent in with this question contained two different types of materials. First, there was a coarsely ground brownish matter that appeared to have been tunneled through or eaten by something. There were also some caste beetle and fly pupal cases.

Knowing the part of the country where you are doing your work leads me to believe that most of the crawl spaces probably have very sandy soil in them. In light of that, I guess the best way to put this is that I have good news and bad news. First, the good news: No, the material in evidence you are seeing is not that of a wood-destroying insect or termite that is new to your area.

Now for the bad news: As someone who crawls under houses and other buildings frequently, you undoubtedly have your share of stories about strange or distressing encounters you have had in this interesting but potentially dangerous environment. All of us have encoun tered the occasional snake, rodent or other animal when we were least expecting them. This, along with an assortment of all types of human discards, can be expected to be found regularly in crawl spaces.

My guess is that cats and raccoons or opossums in your area have found the sandy substrate in your customers' crawl spaces an ideal environment to utilize as a sandbox, if you get my drift. The material you sent in is thoroughly disintegrated fecal material of an unknown origin. I believe cats and raccoons are the most likely suspects.

The caste beetle and fly pupal cases are the sole remnants of insects that utilized this material as a substrate for completing their life cycle.

Now that I think about it, the answer to your question actually entails good news, bad news, and even worse news. For the worse news, I should point out that crawl spaces such as the one that you have been in and, obviously, those that many others have been in can be full of all types of intestinal and other parasites found in any of the animals that frequent this location.

If you go into a crawl space and inadvertently contaminate your hand with these materials and then do not carefully wash before eating or using your hands for similar activities, you run the risk of acquiring helminth or some other type of parasite.

Although I don't believe that parasitic infection of termite technicians or inspectors is a common problem in the industry, it may have occurred, and certainly could occur. As a result, you should consider wearing at least a dust mask and a Tyvek or similar appropriate garment when crawling under houses. Also, the use of gloves would be prudent.

There may even be some types of crawl spaces that should not be entered routinely. These include those where plumbing leaks are present and sewage discharge has occurred, and those where rodents, particularly mice, have been active recently. In light of the recent concerns about Hantavirus (see "Hantavirus: Are PCOs At Risk?", PCT, August 1994, p. 32), I should think that a bit of care when entering these environments would be in order.