Q: I’ve got a new construction home in Dallas. My family room has solid oak flooring over slab. In one plank are small holes appearing over the past several months that are about the size of a medium sized nail head with what appears to be saw dust surrounding it. My guess is that I have termites or some other infestation in that plank.
Can you suggest a couple likely culprits that I can investigate before calling my builder?
A: I had a dining room set which had the same type of hole develop in several places on a lower rung of one of the chairs. It looked like someone drilled a hole with a tiny bit. It turned out to be a post hole beetle. Just one, but he made a couple of holes. It doesn’t sound like termites. They usually eat the interior and leave a thin skin at the top or bottom. I would suggest poking a tooth pick into each hole and if he is in there it will likely prompt him to come marching out.
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