what invades my shop at night?

[Greg Deakins]

I didnt get out of my shop until after ten last night, just after pushing all the residual sawdust around the floor as if I were sweeping. This morning I noticed something I hadnt before, somehow. In the thin layer of dust on the are LOTS of tracks, lines like 3/16" wide, squiggling all over. It looks like a worm or something but there has to a ton of them considering they all appeared in about twelve hours. The floor is concrete, and likely cold since it dropped to about 35 last night. I looked for about a half an hour for ANY signs, a dead insect, anything. All that is visable are the tracks. Does anybody have an idea what these organisms are?

[glenn bradley]

Fairies sometimes drag their feet when low-flying over our work areas.

[Barry Rhoads]

Could be static electricity playing out after you sweep and the temperature changes. Something like cloud to cloud lighting only in the dust.

[John Schreiber]

I doubt worms. When they've gotten far enough into my shop to get dusty, they get very dusty & dry and don't make it out.

Static electricity doesn't sound likely, but it's more likely than faeries. Wait, wait a minute . . . were any projects completed last night after you left. It could be the beard trails of flying dwarfs.:D:D

[Todd Burch]

Picture .

[Greg Narozniak]

Gremlins :)

[Walt Caza]

Hi Greg,
I'll second Todd's request...
no pics- never happened!

With my tongue firmly planted in cheek, I ask...
Are you also finding progress on your projects in the morning?

be well,
Walt

[Ryan Stagg]

You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

[Bill White]

Has to be electrokinenisterraologicalmenitis.
I have it happen to me after serious bouts of beerolosis magnifica.
Bill :D

[Gene Howe]

Pencils hiding.

[Greg Deakins]

ha ha guys! pictures forthcomming!

[Lee Mitchell]

In addition to all the other crew previously mentioned, I'd bet you've got a few mice lurking about. Sounds like they may be dragging their tails as they look for cracker crumbs and any remains of that Snickers bar you sneaked into the shop to keep hidden from the dieters in your house. ;)

[Greg Deakins]

aaah, they may be dragging their tails, (and I would buy that for sure considering the other mousal evidence, but where are the feet?!?!

[Todd Burch]

Looks like Slugs.

[Greg Deakins]

keep in mind these tracks are ALL OVER my shop, and there are no stragglers to be found, they are quick, and looking at the pathway, they seem dry too.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Barring a time lapse digital camera:
Grab a book, a six pak, and a small reading light and camp out in your shop after you close up.

Maybe it will be made plain while you recline.
On the other hand maybe you don't want to know what evil is lurking in the dark corners. Maybe some mysteries are best left unsolved.

[Bob Genovesi]

You might not want to stay in there after dark.......:eek:

[John Callahan]

Maybe stress cracks in the concrete? If so maybe without knowing it you have invented the concrete world's version of magnetic particle inspection. ;) .....................:D

[Rick Christopherson]

Centipedes

[harry strasil]

motion activated trail camera

[Brian D Anderson]

Centipedes

That's what I was going to say. Just smushed one in my kitchen yesterday.

-Brian

[mark page]

Every time it rains I get worms that crawl under my overhead door. They don't last long in the sawdust though. At least I welcome them as my yard is all peanut butter clay composition and they will help out there. I did have a stare down contest with a wolf spider the other day about the size of a coffee can lid. He won. Did I say I have a phobia of spiders????:eek: I was going to suggest slugs but don't think they'd make it too far in sawdust though????

[Jason Kanak]

My guess would be stress cracks and moisture migration.

[Peter Scoma]

Snakes. The floor of my old shop used to look like that every so often shortly before finding a garden snake hiding in the corner which I quickly decapitated with a garden shovel :D

ps

[Andrew Long]

Put a glue trap down, and see what you catch.

My recent experience, opening the door to the workshop, turning the lights on, and having a soaking wet Racoon standing there. Bugger went through the cat door to get away from the rain we had earlier from a thunderstorm.

Needless to say the cats were spooked and fuzzed up big time...

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Centipedes

MILLIONS AND BILLIONS of 'em.

They can invade a human couple in bed in the night and the toxic venom is anesthetic so you don't wake up till they are near done eating you.

Whatever you do, don't leave a trail of centipede crumbs from the shop to the bedroom116925

[Roy Jensen]

Aliens....first they attack the clothes dryer steeling socks and then on to the shop taking pencils and hiding rulers and tape measures...be afraid...very, very afraid :eek:

[Craig Moulton]

I vote for bugs. Maybe millipedes? Centipedes?

[Brian W Evans]

I think I've seen beetles make tracks like that. I'll second the spy mission or glue trap ideas as well. If you have a camera with these features, here's what I've done in the past (to see the bear who was destroying my bird feeders):

Set up a video camera on a tripod, set it for time-lapse (I set mine to take a few seconds of video every 2 minutes), and either leave a light on or use the infrared setting. I saw my bear this way, plus all the raccoons, skunks, possums, fishers, foxes, coyotes, and other critters whom I didn't know were visiting me - very interesting and entertaining. I have an older Sony DV camera that came with these features - not sure how standard they are, though.

[Greg Deakins]

all great suggestions! I think I figured it out though... Centipedes was the closest answer to what I believe it to be. Millipedes. (sp?) THis hasn't happened since last summer but if it rains a lot there will be hundreds of them huddled together under the weather flange of the overhead door. Forgot all about that, supposing they come out and hunt dust mites at night, that would make sense.

[David DeCristoforo]

Before we had a bunch of development right across the street from my shop, we were right in the path of the "Annual Potato Bug Migration". Every year for about two weeks, we would have potato bugs all over the place.

[Luther Oswalt]

If you were down here I would say you have snakes and lizards!
Leo

[phil harold]

From examining the evidence, I came to this conclusion:
The lines / trails are from a blinding flash-storm of electricity in which a cyborg assassin arrived from the future by Skynet searching to terminate Sara Connor

[Greg Cole]

Do you have any garbage bags-cans in the shop? Houseflies?
Could the tracks be from little wiggly maggots...?:confused:

[Dan Karachio]

My bet is little ring neck snakes. Are you in the north east?

[Tom Adger]

Greg, since you have asked us to help you play detective, it would help to know where you are. Northern Maine, Southern Florida? It would also help to know how tightly constructed your shop is. i.e., is there clearance around the bottom of your walls for critters, of any kind, to get in?

[Ron Dunn]

Do you live next to a railroad, or any other source of heavy vibration?

[Geoff Potter]

Unfortunately, what you are seeing is evidence that your concrete floor is fixing to crack. Quite common in the dryer climates. The concrete outgasses just before it cracks!









Just kidding!:)

[Chip Lindley]

Pre-May Workshop Gnomes doing their Spring Mating Dance!!!

Note: Gnomes are an Endangered Species! Do not attempt to trap, snare, or otherwise incapacitate these nighttime creatures, under penalty of Ancient Hex!

If not Gnomes, the tracks could be from moths beating their wings against your dusty floor! I've SEEN it happen! ( The moths.....NOT the Gnomes ) *chuckle*!

[Brian Kent]

Snails, Slugs, or Nazca.

[Brian Kent]

But seriously now, snails or slugs.
Try beer. No, really.

Put a little beer in a jar lid or bowl and leave it over night. The snails and slugs are attracted to the smell of the beer, they drink until they drown in it.

Sort of like Frat guys.

But thats how I got rid of snails and slugs in my vegetable garden. (My dog thought snails and beer for breakfast was delicious so I had to pick it up early in the morning.)

[Fred Belknap]

You need a critter cam. Looks like some kind of worm, maybe earthworm.

[Peter Quinn]

Nothing harmful, probably just radon finding its way out.:eek: Just kidding, I have not experience with how radon behaves. I'd go with the dwarf beard theory.

[Jim Rimmer]

Could be the socks that disappear from the dryer.:rolleyes:

[glenn bradley]

I've got it! Dewey has trained his mice (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=111002) to visit you.

[Dewey Torres]

I've got it! Dewey has trained his mice (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=111002) to visit you.

Darn it...Glen found me out! Yes..once the hit the sticky traps they loose their feet so they only leave tail tracks:D

[Craig D Peltier]

Maybe Rabbits, also referred to as Dust Bunnie tracks?

I truly like the idea of Fairies flying low and dragging there feet over our work areas!

[Bob Fraser]

Place a square or circle of masking tape, or putty or cooked spaghetti on the floor before you go to bed. Or one of each.

See if "they" go around it or over it, come morningtime.

Also leave some cookies and milk just in case there are Reindeer and a fat guy involved.

failing the above - it is static from sweeping.

bob

[Dan Forman]

I think it's a picture of the Virgin Mary.

Dan

[Greg Robbins]

I get these little critters running around my shop at night. They might leave a trail like that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillidiidae

[Jeff Mohr]

Snakes. The floor of my old shop used to look like that every so often shortly before finding a garden snake hiding in the corner which I quickly decapitated with a garden shovel :D

ps

You are boosting and proud of chopping off the head of a non-venomous snake that feeds mostly on worms, slugs, insects, frogs, fish, and lizards?



As far as the cracks...can't help you there.

[Bill Huber]

I think it's a picture of the Virgin Mary.

Dan

I can see it now and she is crying......... right?

[Bob Genovesi]

MILLIONS AND BILLIONS of 'em.

They can invade a human couple in bed in the night and the toxic venom is anesthetic so you don't wake up till they are near done eating you.

Whatever you do, don't leave a trail of centipede crumbs from the shop to the bedroom116925

Cliff,

Is that a pet? :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Keith Domingue]

I doubt it is slugs, but it could be a bug such as beetles. Could be geckos or some sort of lizard.

[Neil Bosdet]

I had a skunk. I was replacing my garage, errr shop, doors last year and they were tarped for a night. I went in to get something that night and noticed something out of the corner of my eye under my workbench. I went in for a closer look and found myself staring eye with Mr. Skunk. Yikes! I boogied it out of there and so did he. I went in and he went out. I trapped him a few days later and relocated him to a park across a river.

[jason lambert]

People are right it is not safe in there you must pack up all your tools in plastic to protect them and keep the buggers in, then send them to me for inspection. At that point they may be considered a biohazard and have to be in a sterile environment like my shop for several years till they are deemed safe to return.

Just kiddn, I like the glue trap idea. Also do any of the tracks start and stop in the dust or is it like something is definably leaving track. Just don't clean for a day and see where they lead.

[Rick Christopherson]

all great suggestions! I think I figured it out though... Centipedes was the closest answer to what I believe it to be. Millipedes. (sp?) THis hasn't happened since last summer but if it rains a lot there will be hundreds of them huddled together under the weather flange of the overhead door. Forgot all about that, supposing they come out and hunt dust mites at night, that would make sense.Actually, I meant to type Millipede, but with the answer so short, it was off and gone before I realized my blunder.

I used to get these all the time and have even caught them in the act of their malicious trail riding.:D

[Tom Leasure]

Hey Guy's,
PLEASE keep this going - I have been laughing so hard my belly hurts & I can't see for the tears in my eyes :D:D:D Some of these responses are simply great.

Thanks for the entertainmnet - it's priceless !!

Tom

[Bruce Brurud]

I had a snake living in my shop for awhile last year but his tracks weren't as random as the ones you've got. And no, I didn't kill him, even though he'd strike at me every time I'd poke a finger at him. I just quit poking my finger at him and we got along fine. I'd vote for some kind of insect although fairies/gremlins sound like more fun.

[Todd Burch]

If anyone suggested I had fairies in my shop I'd bean them.

[Chris Weishaar]

You need a critter cam.


Well the critter cam can have some drawbacks. Last year one of my parents neighbors had something living under their porch and they decided to put up a critter cam to see what they were dealing with. Of course they told the other neighbors about it. Well that night my dad and one of the other neighbors went over just after dark with a fishing pole and a stuffed monkey. They swung the monkey into the path of the critter cam and it flashed and took the picture. They did this every night for a week using a different animal each night! When they retrieved the camera in addition to the possum that was living there they found out they had monkeys, rabbits, bears and other large furry animals under there.:D

[Brett Nelson]

I evidently have a fairy in my shop. Any time I whine about a sliver the wife says, "don't be such a fairy".

Seriously, I think you've got potato bugs.

[Myk Rian]

Snakes.

Whatever it is, sure looks like a lot of them.

[harry strasil]

Trail (critter) cams can be enlighening sometimes. Anybody know what #5 is?

[harry strasil]

some more, same place.

[Eric Gustafson]

Trail (critter) cams can be enlighening sometimes. Anybody know what #5 is?

Wow! A Coatimundi!

[Michael Weber]

Pencils hiding.
:D:D:D:D good one

[Mike OMelia]

#5 is a badger

[Todd Burch]

Being from Texas, I know what the 4th picture in the second set looks like.

[Ron Kellison]

I can see it now and she is crying......... right?

Probably because of the dead snake!

Ron

[Corey Wilcox]

Looks like you have an axe-handle hound lurking somewhere in your shop. Missing any hammer handles? :)

[Jeff Mohr]

Wow! A Coatimundi!


+1 for this answer.

[Brian Keith]

I have alot of potato bugs in my basement shop and Ill put some saw dust down and see what I come up with.

[Dan Forman]

I'd vote for pill bugs, also known as sow bugs, those little land dwelling crustaceans mentioned earlier.

Dan

[Angie Orfanedes]

Your shop is obviously ground zero for the alien invasion of the tiny invisible creatures of the planet Ork. They also cause chocolate chip cookies and beer to disappear at our house.

[Greg Deakins]

mystery solved! I got up real early this morning because it rained again last night (early for me is six thirty), and wandered up to the shop to see if I could catch the culprit in action. There were two stragglers, perhaps closed the bar down, with a slightly more squiggled path. There I witnessed the lines being drawn with my own eyes. Oh, guess I should mention, the artists are millipedes, as I suspected, hundreds of them.

[Bob Genovesi]

Are you sure?

This is a millipede and if you've got hundreds of them!!!!

[Greg Deakins]

ha! yeah thats a millipede, an African Millipede (im not making this up), but around here they only grow an inch or so.

[Bob Genovesi]

ha! yeah thats a millipede, an African Millipede (im not making this up), but around here they only grow an inch or so.

Hey Greg,

I thought I'd have some fun with Ya!! I'm sure the ones you have are a whole lot smaller!! :):)

[Todd Burch]

Looks like Bob's being about 6-7" has your 1" beat Greg. But, I suppose having hundreds of 1"ers might be a better deal than having just a couple of 7"ers.

[Trace Beard]

+2 for pill bugs

[Todd Burch]

You're a little slow on the uptake there Trace.

[Bill Orbine]

ha! yeah thats a millipede, an African Millipede (im not making this up), but around here they only grow an inch or so.

That's what SHE says!:D

[John Schreiber]

mystery solved! I got up real early this morning because it rained again last night (early for me is six thirty), and wandered up to the shop to see if I could catch the culprit in action. There were two stragglers, perhaps closed the bar down, with a slightly more squiggled path. There I witnessed the lines being drawn with my own eyes. Oh, guess I should mention, the artists are millipedes, as I suspected, hundreds of them.
That's great and everything, but we want a mystery, not a solution :D.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

DEADLY CENTIPEDES

They will creep into your bed at night and paralyze you with their venom and eat you
117158

[John Messinger]

I'm thinking cockroaches. I think the previously mentioned glueboard is a great idea.

[Greg Young]

Probably a rodent

[Todd Burch]

This thread is getting funnier and funnier!

[Chris Tsutsui]

Haha, pretty funny thread!

If those were pill bugs they sure went the wrong way... Pill Bugs are attracted to cold, wet, damp environments. I did a pill bug experiment to verify this back when I was in school.

Pill bugs also don't travel in pill bug herds. They run and hide under a damp rock or crack.

I am almost 100% sure that you are looking at cockroach trails.

Rodents would leave little prints and not drag their belly's on the ground low enough to make that track.

Cockroaches are blind, they come out in pitch black. They would have no trouble walking through thick dust and pushing it to the side with their boat shaped bodies.

I've seen cockroaches move and they walk in a pattern like that because they are blind trying to find a wall or edge.

If you put a worm or slug in that saw dust, I give it about 1 minute before it can't move anymore, dies and dries up. haha

I say get some roach traps.

[Greg Deakins]

That's great and everything, but we want a mystery, not a solution :D.


turns out, I was actually dreaming according to LOML. SHe said I rolled into a ball while asleep and uttered "millipede, millipede, millipede" over and over again. Guess I should have realized it when they were stumbling out of the millipede bar. It read on the sign "The Mill -bar and grille-".

[jason lambert]

Chris way to logical. I am going with the well hung mouse theory!

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Not sure what you have except I'm sure it's not what I nearly had yesterday. I had the roll up door to the shop open loading a cabinet and happened to be standing in the doorway when a couple armadillos came ambling up. If I hadn't blocked their path I'm pretty sure they would have gotten inside. Been fun to try to chase down. Usually when I get within about ten feet of them they run, but these I had to practically chase away.

[John Schreiber]

Chris way to logical. I am going with the well hung mouse theory!
I thought you said moose. Still can't get the picture out of my mind.

[Jon Knauft]

Just Googled Cockroach trails and spent the last 10 minutes reading about Cockroaches following their own fecal trails. So it looks like you might have a Cockroach poo problem too!:eek:

[Rob Russell]

Beer really does work to attract and drown slugs (can't speak to snails).

Years ago my brother had a small garden in the backyard of their condo. He had a slug problem and decided to put out some plates of beer. Being the engineer type, he also decided to put out the plates just after a party when he had a whole bunch of different kinds of leftover beer. He wanted to see if there were any beers that worked better than the others at attracting the slugs.

The beer that attracted the most slugs - way, way more than any other beer (like a plateful) - was Rolling Rock. We decided it was because the RoRo had more hops and the slugs could smell it better.

Ever since then, we've called RoRo "Slug Beer".



But seriously now, snails or slugs.
Try beer. No, really.

Put a little beer in a jar lid or bowl and leave it over night. The snails and slugs are attracted to the smell of the beer, they drink until they drown in it.

Sort of like Frat guys.

But thats how I got rid of snails and slugs in my vegetable garden. (My dog thought snails and beer for breakfast was delicious so I had to pick it up early in the morning.)

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

Ahh, you're all wrong..

In between posting like 80 billion times, bouncing from one country to another - Jim Becker sneaks in every night, squiggles some lines in the dust and scampers away chuckling to himself.
:D