Critters
The Exterminator came today to check for termites and give our house/yard the once over for any other critter problems. He reported that there is no evidence of termites and all the wood in the basement is in great shape. However, the basement bathroom, which is non-functional and has some rotten baseboards, seems to have been a home for wood beetles at some point in the past. Fortunately, they only survive in damp wood, and the bathroom is pretty much bone dry now. This means that demolition of the downstairs bathroom is bumped up a bit on the todo list, which is fine by me.
Outside, under the breakfast room, some animal (like a raccoon, rabbit, or possum) has made a nice comfy nest out of some insulation. He said that we’re going to have to nip that in the bud or our uninvited guest will be bringing his family and friends along in the winter.
Lastly, our towering sugar maple in the backyard seems to have quite the colony of carpenter ants, and we’re going to need to make sure that those stay in the tree and away from the house.
