Strange substance found inside?

TommySax

Hi. Wasn't sure what category to use. May post more than once...I am very late at dewinterizing this year because we were away. I just opened my 320S and noticed this strange white "powder" inside on the floor and by the fridge (please see photos). It seems to me like it might be "sawdust" and I am suspicious of perhaps some kind of boring insects? Wondering if anyone has any ideas and what I should be inspecting further? Maybe I should pull out the friend take a look? Would certainly appreciate any advice. Thanks!! I'm in southern Canada near Toronto.

elbolillo

Looks like salt or sugar to me...

Bayliss

@TommySax, it is hard to say what that substance is.  It looks a bit granular from the photo, but it could very well be some sort of boring insect if it is indeed sawdust.

Take a closer look in that immediate area and the body of the refrigerator with the aid of a flashlight to see if you can locate the source, or see any obvious damage (e.g., a small hole.)  If the cause/source is not obvious, maybe keep some of the substance in a baggie for future reference, vacuum up the excess, and then keep an eye on that location for a while to see if it reappears.  You might want to check other areas in the trailer, just so you know how things appear, generally.

Assuming you do not move the trailer for a while, if there is something eating away at the wood (or the refrigerator case?), the substance should reappear.  If so, you may need to remove the refrigerator to take a more thorough look inside the wood cabinet.

P.S.  I am assuming all looks well inside the refrigerator, correct?  Be sure to look around the door seal.  You do not indicate what model year your 320 S is, but if the refrigerator is held in place with screws from the inside of the refrigerator and drilled into the wood cabinet framing, there is the possibility that the substance is old sawdust from that drilling.  Seems unlikely, especially if the trailer is a year or so older, but something to consider. 

TommySax

Maybe you're just joking M. elbolillo. Of course I picked some up in my fingers. It seems like saw dust. Like the particle board crap that the cupboard doors are made of. That's why I'm thinking insects; maybe ants? 

TommySax

Thank you Bayliss for your thoughtful answer. I will investigate further. It's a 2021 bought in August of 2020. I already moved the trailer about 2 feet forward. Had to so I could more easily de-winterize.
 It's in my driveway. The stuff is very fine, not quite powder and seems like sawdust. The fridge door was propped open for the winter and there's no evidence of anything inside it. I haven't ever investigated how the fridge is installed. There was no need. Thanks for your ideas!! Now that you know the year, if you have any more insight, please go ahead...

Ghannan

Chewed up foam insulation?

TommySax

Interesting idea Ghannan. I will look for that too. Thanks!

ColleenD2

any mouse poop around? Mice eat particle board.  They ate the bottom of the wall of our shed.

ColleenD2

Shows up in other campers too. I bet mice.

https://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f33/strange-white-stuff-29376.html

ColleenD2

Weird. I thought I posted but I don't see it. I say mouse or powdery mildew.

TommySax

Thanks ColleenD2. Haven't seen any mouse poop in the camper but good idea. Will look around. Mildew-interesting idea. I will be doing a thorough investigation around the fridge tomorrow.

ColleenD2

curious to see the final answer on this

TommySax

I made as thorough of an investigation as I could and found no evidence of boring or rodents. Haven't seen a repeat yet. Went on a short 2 day camping trip and everything seems to be OK. Carrying on but will keep an eye out.

jebelhafit

I have had the same pile of white stuff in a damp basement area.  I believe that these are ant larvae that are deposited there when their nests are flooded.  I vacuumed them up, blocked a potential entry area, then sprayed with an ant pesticide.  Not the most convenient for a trailer, but that worked for my house. Good luck.

ChanW

I get the ant eggs that @jebelhafit is referring to, in our mailbox. They'd be wet and squishable, so would likely be obvious. 
I'd guess a carpenter ant might do what you're seeing, or a carpenter-bee. Look for entry points on the outside, maybe? Carpenter ants and termites are known to like nesting in foam, but I had the impression that it was moist material that attracted them.
I think we're more likely to see carpenter ants than termites in our "neck of the woods". 

pthomas745

The Tabs use an insulation product that has a styrofoam backed with aluminum shield type material.  I know I've found it near the rear Alde convectors, etc.

Could this be the foam material degrading and falling out between the gaps in the fridge area?  Or, something burrowing into the styrofoam?

This is a picture from BrianZ's comment about removing parts of the rear bench storage area.  You can see the aluminum backed styrofoam I'm thinking of.

Freespirit

@TommySax, you have likely done this with your unidentified substance, under a magnifying glass termite droppings have a distinctive shape and size, easily identifiable.  

Had a similar experience in our house, and after days of looking for the cause(substance was around baseboards), asked a neighbor for some help and he immediately looked up at the crown molding and showed me several pin holes where the termites were pushing their waste out ending up 8 feet from the identifiable culprit. 

Good luck. 

TommySax

Thanks for all the advice. I've looked for entry points but nothing yet. I put some ant traps in the camper (one under the fridge, one on the kitchen counter where my wife saw an ant, one on the floor); the kind that have poison in them that the critters take back to the nests. So we'll be keeping an eye out. Yes the Styrofoam seems like a likely source.
Again, thank you all so much. What a great community we have!

BrianZ

Is it soluble in water, and does it sink or float?  These are physical properties that are easily determined & may help rule in/out some things.

TommySax

At long last I believe this mystery has been solved. I didn't see the white stuff for a while. After a camping trip in July, our 320 was parked in the driveway for 6 weeks. There was some seriously hot weather for several days (close to 40 Celcius) so we figured if there were any insects in there, they'd die. We're going out for 3 weeks soon, so I opened her up and there it was again (see "before" photo). A big pile. I called a pest control company and the tech and I did a thorough search around the fridge area. He decided to spray a commercial grade insecticide (Konk Pyrethrin) around the fridge and the drawer underneath AND I found 3 little holes on the underside of the fridge, bottom left, on the 'body' of the fridge (not on the door) which I was very suspicious of. A bit of white fluffy stuff was peaking out of one of those holes and I am certain it is the fridge's insulation. His spray can had a thin nozzle and I said spray some of that into those holes as well.  SUCCESS (I hope anyway) as about 2 hours later WOW a collection of what look like ant carcasses in the area (see "after" photo). Keeping my  fingers crossed!

manyman297

Woah, glad you figured it out. 

I had a similar scare last week. I was cleaning the AC filter under the dinette and noticed some fine wood dust in a pile on the filter. After closer inspection I realized it was sawdust probably from when the CNC cut the vent holes out for the filter panel. They were kind of just sitting in a neat pile in one of the openings and I simply blew them out of the way. Amazing that those shavings were just sitting there the entire time undisturbed. 

Sharon_is_SAM

Ha!  So the ants displaced the insulation!  Mystery solved.

EasternJL

We keep our tires, axles (on the ends) and our jack (wheel) sprayed with ortho home defense while parked and we even take it camping with us (in case a spot is extra ant-y, etc.).  I know from experience with a boat that all types of bugs will hop on board if we don't do this.  By the way, we also spray the shore power cable.