LianeR
Newbie
Posts: 18
Registered: 9-30-2008
Location: Loreto - Washington
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What Kind of Critter Is This?
We just got back to our place after being gone 6 months. House was locked up for 2 storms and fared well. However, all the toilets (seats, lids) and
the wall near them were covered with what looks like 'end trails' of some critter. 2" long, trailing, brown......
We found about 8 dead roaches in the entire house...no geckos. In one corner of a bathroom the ceiling was covered with this trailing 'mess'....
Showed our builder and he said he'd never seen anything like this.
It is a liquid end trail...not like a mouse, rat or gecko. Would greatly appreciate any insight anybody can give me on this one. These appeared only
in the bathrooms...from the floor to the ceiling.
Thanks!
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woody with a view
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Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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"i see dead snails"
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 11-15-2004
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Have you never noticed these trails before ?
These are Baja turd slugs.
They come out from your toilet at night and slime around.
Do not eat them ! They can be fatal if eaten without hot sauce and lime.
Known to seek warm moist cavities on cold nights - sleep with your mouth closed.
Do not step on these critters. They can cause severe injury due to slipping and falling.
.
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Marla Daily
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Location: Loreto, BCS
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From an Entomollogist
Curious about these Loreto creatures, I asked a PhD entomologist for his thoughts. Here is his reply:
Trails...hmm...A photo would be useful. "end trails" is confusing.
What does she mean by "end"? Rear end? terminal (like it stops there
and disappears?) Are the trails only 2" long each and there are
hundreds of these 2" long strips everywhere?
"Liquid" could mean "slime" which would make me think of snails or
slugs, but then they would be longer than 2".
Things that come out of toilets after long periods of inactivity can
also be larvae of certain aquatic insects. They would crawl out of
their "habitat" and could leave wet trails that would end once the larva
dries up and pupates. But then, she should have found either the pupal
skins, the larval skins or flies all over the place.
Finally (and this is a bit of a stretch), other creatures, from
c-ckroaches to mice could leave wet trails when going to this convenient
source of water in a dry place during the dry season.
So, pictures please?
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LianeR
Newbie
Posts: 18
Registered: 9-30-2008
Location: Loreto - Washington
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We found nothing to give us any clue as to what these are from. No shells, nada.
They were in the corners of the ceilings in our garage bathroom...and were on 3 other toilets in the house. The toilets had 'gone dry' due to
someone draining our pila so at first we thought the sewer had backed up as the inside of the toilets and 'exploded in some way'...However upon
looking closer it was apparent this was some critter as it was in too many places. Some trails were larger than others...but not on the floor of the
shower or on any floor. Just the toilets and walls around the toilets. This shot I am trying to attach is actually the corner of the ceiling
shower in our garage...
I have never attached a photo in this forum before so hopefully it will come through... This is not the best photo as I'd scrubbed everything except
this one high ceiling corner but at least you can see the shape of these things...
Thanks for your input,
Liane
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LianeR
Newbie
Posts: 18
Registered: 9-30-2008
Location: Loreto - Washington
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I forgot to mention I am from Washington...so am very familiar with slugs and snails. There was nothing on the floor anywhere to give us a clue as to
what these are. Apparently liked moist places...inside of the toilets, toilet seats, lid....walls near the toilet tank...and the ceilings in this one
garage shower where it was probably most humid ..
Liane
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Katiejay99
Nomad
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Registered: 9-3-2008
Location: Todos Santos
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Mood: it is what it is
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I have a local Mexican man here with me right now and I showed him your photo. His question is what type of material is the wall and are the streaks
like clawed in, or layed onto the top of the material? I mean, can you wash them off? Do they have a smell?
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Katiejay99
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Posts: 429
Registered: 9-3-2008
Location: Todos Santos
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Mood: it is what it is
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He says they could be bats - do you have many of those in your area? If the walls are of wood he said they may be "Polia" - not sure what that word
means in English.
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LianeR
Newbie
Posts: 18
Registered: 9-30-2008
Location: Loreto - Washington
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The walls are stucco. We have bats in Washington and their droppings are similar to mice...not this. Not sure what 'polia' is..not in any spanish
dictionary I have here nor online. This brown 'stuff' is on the wall and not clawed in. Heavy stain..we had to take very stiff brushes with
bleach to get them off. We have slugs/ snails in Washington and this reminds me of something that would crawl. The house was locked up and hot and
humid especially after the 2 storms....nobody opened anything up for 6 months.
I appreciate all your input.....
liane
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LOSARIPES
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Registered: 8-14-2008
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Polia..... meant Polilla = termite
Aripes
God bless America
and Baja tambien
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tehag
Super Nomad
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Registered: 1-8-2005
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Critter
Big roaches, I think. The flat sewer roaches can come out of the toilet if the P trap goes dry. All sewer lines have them. There are also some very
large roaches in Baja that will come into a house through cracks or under doors. Also called palmetto bugs.
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Cypress
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Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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tehag, That's my guess also.
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LianeR
Newbie
Posts: 18
Registered: 9-30-2008
Location: Loreto - Washington
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We found only 8 or so roaches in the entire house...your regular everyday Mexican roaches. If they were sewer roaches...where would they have gone
to? Back in the sewer line? We didn't find anything laying around in any of the bathrooms other than these markings. The other roaches were found
near the windows....and were melted to the floor it got so hot in here.
Egads...have never heard of such a thing and now every time I sit down....perish the thought..
-Liane
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