White rot or insect eggs?

[jim skau]

Dear Forum,

I'm a Danish hill billy settled in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Southern Spain. We live in a small wooden house, so when I noticed these outcrops on my newly erected wooden patio I thought it wisest to ask you honorable members for your opinion.
At a glance it looks like some kind of fungus, but a closeup reveals these shapes.
The timber is about a year old pressure treated (copper sulphate) on the beams, and varnished with a water based (insect and fungi repellent) wood treatment.

Any idea guys

Wood closeup1.jpgWood 3.jpg


Jim

[Jim Koepke]

Jim,

Welcome to the Creek.

I do not know if Spain has the equivalent of our County Agricultural Agents. If they do I would take them a sample of these things. They do look like some kind of egg case to me.

That sure looks to be a lot of them. Are they all in one place or are there some in other places?

What happens when you smash them?

jtk

[Brian Ashton]

if the wood is treated to european specs I wouldn't worry much. They look like some sort of egg to me. Which would explain why they're there. You varnished the wood, so there's a barrier between the treated wood and the insect laying it's eggs.

[jim skau]

Thank you guys,

Yes I just discovered other batches under several wooden roof overhangs round the houses. One of the formations was situated on a bit of asphalt felt, which is our principal roof cladding. I'm pretty sure by now, that it is some kind of insect.
Squashing the "eggs" doesn't really clarify anything, as the formations are so small that it leaves a powdery feel. Consulting any agency in this country is not going to work (over here, anyone with a diploma is most likely more ignorant than even me - this goes for any authority as well - kinda good in a bad way :-)

I thank you again for your answers and will clean up the spots with some bleach..... just in case.

[Matt Day]

Maybe call a pest exterminator to see what he thinks?

[Jim Koepke]

Maybe call a pest exterminator to see what he thinks?

Many pest exterminators would think it calls for a full treatment and lots of cash changing hands no matter what the situation.

jtk

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I know of a few local bugs that lay eggs that look like that. Not positive, but I'm betting on insects. If it's fungus, it'll probably change appearance rapidly, like strikingly different within 24 hours. Eggs usually take far longer to change appearance.