General Question

tan253's avatar

Anyone heard a death watch beetle in their walls?

Asked by tan253 (2958points) December 9th, 2016
14 responses
“Great Question” (1points)

For as long as I can remember I’ve heard ticking sounds in walls.
For a while, I thought it was a spirit and I use to ask it questions, it would tick once for yes and twice for no. I now wonder if that was just the process of my over active imagination. However, now as a 40-year-old I am typing this and listening to this same ticking sound. It’s constant, this sound has been going all night, it will stop but then starts up again. If I put my ear to the wall to have a good listen it stops. It’s like a very fast clock and then sometimes will slow down. I’m in NZ – does this sound like a deathwatch beetle? I rent this house – should I tell the landlord?

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Answers

Coloma's avatar

Death watch beetle?

Either it really is a bug in the wall or…you are teetering on the verge of a major Schizophrenic break from reality. Asking the spirit bug in the wall to answer questions, well…be glad you don’t have a Raven sitting in the tree outside your window. lol

Hawaii_Jake's avatar

Death watch beetle

It very well could be such a bug.

Sneki95's avatar

@Hawaii_Jake That’s an ugly ass beetle.

It may as well be a fly or something. I’ve seen flies flying around and smashing into walls and stuff. They don’t seem to bright, you know.

chyna's avatar

Could it be water pipes? Mine tick after running hot water.

tan253's avatar

It’s actually inside the wall, no buzzing, just a really clear tick tick tick tick, it’s faster than a clock probably about 120bpm… sometimes it slows down but it’s always in perfect timing.
So weird….. I use to have one that I swore followed me around the house!

snowberry's avatar

@tan253 have you always lived in very old buildings? The link provided above says, “The larva is very soft, yet can bore its way through wood, which it is able to digest using a number of enzymes in its alimentary canal, provided that the wood has experienced prior fungal decay.”

If this phenomena ever happens in a building that is new, with no signs of water damage or rot, your noise is caused by something other than a bug.

rojo's avatar

I have never heard/had one but what could it hurt to ask the landlord to spray for insects. If he says no, pay for it yourself. Is your peace of mind worth $100.00 to $150.00?

MrGrimm888's avatar

I would consider it possibly being pipes or electric wiring.

Is the sound constant, or does it correlate with something you’re turning on,or off? Or maybe when a neighbor is doing something?

If it’s rythmic, random, or constant?

Is it just one wall?

If it’s more than one wall, I’d be more likely to think it could be insects or an animal.

tan253's avatar

The sound is kinda intermittent, I was listening to it last night and I think it must be a bug.
I will try record it!!!

MrGrimm888's avatar

Weird. I’d talk to your landlord about getting it inspected.

tan253's avatar

Yeah it’s just weird it’s been in almost every house I’ve lived in!

MrGrimm888's avatar

Hmm. Maybe you should also get a head scan…;)

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