Mysterious nest found inside house could mean big trouble
DEAR JOAN » I found a nest behind my blinds, stuck to the wall in my family room.It’s fairly long, dark brown and looks like it’s made of dirt mixed with something else. Do you know what type of insect this nest belongs to?
I haven’t noticed anything flying or buzzing around. Should I be concerned? — Dora Coelho, Antioch DEAR DORA » Sorry to break the bad news, but you not only should be concerned, you should be very concerned. The nest you found belongs to termites that are attempting to invade your home, or have already done so.
You should contact a professional termite exterminating company immediately and get a full inspection. DEAR JOAN » I’m constantly delighted to see the tremendous amount and variety of wildlife around our property in West San Jose.
What seems even more remarkable is that we virtually never see any dead animals. Where are the dead and how did they get there? — Jim, San Jose DEAR JIM » Do you mean to tell me you haven’t seen teams of tiny mortuary attendants scooping up dead animals and taking them to funeral parlors? Of course you haven’t, unless your imagination is even stronger than mine.
We seldom see dead animals for two reasons. One, animals tend to become secretive when they are ailing or injured, going into hiding or finding quiet, hidden places where they won’t be preyed upon.
The other reason is nature. A dead animal is often eaten by another animal. Turkey vultures, for example, do an excellent job of cleaning up any remains, but they aren’t alone. Even animals of the same species usually don’t pass up a chance for some protein. Squirrels often will eat their friends killed on roadways. Insects also scavenge bodies, leaving only the bones and some hide.
Not pleasant, but necessary. DEAR JOAN » In March or April I saw a very long, thin lizard, at least 12 inches long with a pointy head, on the sidewalk in my backyard.
When I walked up to it, it walked slowly into the adjacent ivy. It in no way resembled one of the shorter lizards you frequently see on sidewalks that run quickly into ground cover as you get within 4 feet of them.
Well, I thought that lizard was very strange, but then I saw another one on a sidewalk next to the street about a mile from my house. He reacted the same way, waddling slowly under ground cover next to the sidewalk.
They both moved so slowly that there would have been plenty of time for a dog, cat or any predator to get them. My best guess is that it is a very large salamander. I would love to know your opinion. — Milt Wehrma, Saratoga DEAR MILT » Without more information or a photo, my best guess would be the alligator lizard. They are common in the Bay Area, although you usually have to look hard to find them. Unlike the common Western fence lizard, these keep to the shadows and cover as much terrain as they can.
They can move quickly when they want, although they move slowly when stalking prey. Their bite is extremely strong, which discourages predators.
Contact Joan Morris at jmorris@ bayareanewsgroup.com.