Any ideas what this is

[gwr]

Does anyone know what this is? It was quite well stuck down to the timber like a gooey kind of fur and left grooves in the timber when removed.

 

[Bm101]

Sounds daft. Spider nest?

 

[MikeG.]

Ectoplasm, obviously.

 

[thetyreman]

looks like dust or spider sackling where they hide their babies before they burst out, could also be fungii, that's an exciting find!

 

[gwr]

Spider sack could be the answer as when I lifted the boards of the top of that bench there was quite a few spiders about. Never thought they would attack the wood unless it's something in the sack makeup that does. Had to Google Ectoplasm now that's 2 things I've learnt today Thanks

 

[F Flinstone]

I would not have thought that spiders could make the grooves, there are lots of wood eating insects as Iam sure you are all aware, to me they look like the mark wasps leave having chewed wood into pulp, but the sticky residue is not one of their leaving cards, just a thought.

 

[Eric The Viking]

We had an European Tree Bee nest in one of our birdboxes a couple of years ago. They aren't dangerous and are "solitary" (well, not as numerous as wasps anyway!). It seriously p***ed off the Blue-**** (who apparently don't eat Tree Bees), and I only discovered it when I took the box down.

The nest material is chewed up plywood (from the box walls), and it's very tough and springy. You can see where the wood pulp came from - a lot of parallel grooves like yours above. Oddly, the evicted Blue ****' nest was quite intact underneath, at the bottom of the box.

Tree Bees don't nest in the same place twice, and we were given another nestbox as a Christmas present, so problem solved (pretty much).

So I think yours is damage left over from either a bees' or wasps' nest - but the less common sorts, not the usual "Jaspers" or honey bees.

 

[whiskywill]

I have seen damage like that done by wax moths in my beehives. If you Google 'wax moth wood damage' there are several similar images.

 

[gwr]

Thank you for all your replys I guess I may never know for sure.I was concerned it was some kind of wood eating insect that might infect other timber I bring in. I will keep a look out for any more signs of infestation.

 

[Peterm1000]

That looks remarkably like a carpet moth larva case. I don't think it is carpet moth but I would say it is some kind of similar insect. You don't say how big they are but if they are a inch long or smaller that's what I say it is. Some of those eat wood, some don't...

 

[marcros]

I have seen damage like that done by wax moths in my beehives. If you Google 'wax moth wood damage' there are several similar images.

I was thinking the same, but I have never seen them do damage away from wax or comb.

 

[AlwaysLearning]

Times when I've been stumped by something like that, I've posted pics at the Natural History Museum's Nature Plus identification form