Thousands of tiny insects

[sdg3205]

I'm digging into a new barn find car. I'm used to finding 3 - 5 mouse carcasses. Those don't bother me. THIS DID.

There were THOUSANDS of these insect carcasses around the car. There were also hard, ball - shaped, rock like calcifications (see pictures) these bugs seemed to hang out in. Yes, there are live ones too that tried to run away when i disturbed them. On top of that, there is what looks like wood dust from a saw, but which I highly count is actually wood dust.

I've seen insects like this before. I've heard they like carpets, but i have NEVER seen this many in one place at one time. This had my skin crawling all night.

Yeesh!

[Domi]

Unbelievable

[BABIS]

scary as hell! I would burn that car.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Looks like maggots (fly larva). If you had some dead mice, flys lay eggs on it. I would get an aerosol fumigator. Close up the car and set it off.

[Jonathan]

Termites?

[vps3922]

I'm digging into a new barn find car. I'm used to finding 3 - 5 mouse carcasses. Those don't bother me. THIS DID.

There were THOUSANDS of these insect carcasses around the car. There were also hard, ball - shaped, rock like calcifications (see pictures) these bugs seemed to hang out in. Yes, there are live ones too that tried to run away when i disturbed them. On top of that, there is what looks like wood dust from a saw, but which I highly count is actually wood dust.

I've seen insects like this before. I've heard they like carpets, but i have NEVER seen this many in one place at one time. This had my skin crawling all night.

Yeesh!

OK, I should postpone my visit to see the new project until you got this under control. Shrugg!

Now my mice nest, which I found in my car does not feel that bad anymore.

[sdg3205]

They are deifinately not grub-like larva, more like tiny potato bugs.

Volker - I've cleaned them all out! It's safe to come by!

[DMCVegas]

Looks like maggots (fly larva). If you had some dead mice, flys lay eggs on it. I would get an aerosol fumigator. Close up the car and set it off.

I would second that. It looks like many old pupae of the larvae before they hatched to become flies.

After my car caused a nasty infestation of spiders in my garage that tried to get into my house, I never ever recommend bringing a non-daily driver into a garage before it is fumigated outside and gets to sit for a time to kill everything off. As for the stuff that looks like "wood dust", I'm no entomologist, but I'm wager that is incest feces. So not only should you fumigate the car, but wear a good respirator too when you clean it out and start tearing the carpet out and pulling the seat covers.

If you don't mind me asking, where exactly was this car parked before?

[Lenny]

if not maggots how about Meal Worms

[David T]

OK, I should postpone my visit to see the new project until you got this under control. Shrugg!

Now my mice nest, which I found in my car does not feel that bad anymore.

It is best to treat it like a biological hazard. By that I mean you should take precautions so you do not get or spread any disease. Use eye protection, a dust mask, and a vacuum with a HEPA filter. After you vacuum up as much as you can wipe the areas down with bleach. Insects and animals carry all kinds of diseases. In the southwest rodents carry deadly Hanta viruse. I have heard of people who bring a car into a garage that has been outside and the whole house gets infested with spiders. There have been stories of people finding snakes hiding in cars. A lot depends on the area of the country you are in as to what is indigenous to your area (or at least what area the car has been). Examine all areas of the car. Especially the place where the jack is stored, the fuseblock area, under the seats and the heater box. Look for any wiring that has been chewed on and stuffing where it is not supposed to be. I am a long way from being any kind of an expert on bugs but it looks like ants to me.