Wood floors

Question: I live in a house built in 1947 with original wood floors. I moved in last September (2023) I noticed  these  long worm like trails show up in the floors. They faded quite a bit in the winter but are much more noticeable starting this spring when it got warm. Could this be a type of bug living in the wood?

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 15, 2024, 9:43 AM EDT
response: Thanks for your question. Without a picture of an insect that might be causing this, I don’t have any idea as to a guilty party.   Please keep an eye out for any crawling type of insect. Whatever you see, snap a picture of it and send to us. With that information, I’m sure we could help you. Thanks for consulting with us.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 15, 2024, 11:39 AM EDT
response: I’ve never seen an insect so far. Do you think it is for sure from an insect?  On Mon, Jul 15, 2024 at 8:43 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 15, 2024, 12:00 PM EDT
response: Thanks for your response.  You are absolutely correct.  I am not sure it is insect related.  I mentioned that only because you were wondering if these trails might be due to an "bug" living in the wood.  In fact, these "trails" may not be attributable to anything living.  What happens if you try to remove them by detergent and scrubbing? You may want to try that and see if they reappear in a short period of time.  Thanks again for consulting with us

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 16, 2024, 9:01 AM EDT
response: They do reappear after scrubbing. It seems like humid warm weather has something to do with it.  I wanted just check to see if it sparks some recognition with your experts.  I’ve been here less than a year and I’m  already dealing with a pretty bad mouse problem. And I have a tiny backyard that seems to be more of a jungle with the bugs , wasps, spiders and worms. Not to mention the crazy eyed robins. I just want to try and stay ahead of things to protect me and my dogs (they have been stung twice so far).  I’ve been trying to add some wildflowers through the front and back yard. But right now I find myself counting the days until winter. Lol. Maybe next year things will balance out a bit.   Thanks for your quick responses.  I really appreciate it!  I’ll send pictures if I see any bugs that might be causing the marks on the floor.   On Mon, Jul 15, 2024 at 11:00 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 16, 2024, 9:15 AM EDT
response: Thanks for your response.  It appears that various challenges are facing you. With respect to those tracks on the floor, I'm wondering if they are just part of the  wood and have nothing to do with any insects? Pictures of any invading critters would be welcomed. Good luck.  Thanks for consulting us.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 16, 2024, 9:33 AM EDT
response: I don’t know if the challenges are all somehow connected. I’ve owned a few houses around this houses age or older around MN and I’ve just never seen these kinds of marks in the wood floors before.  It’s probably something benign like furniture drag marks for all I know and I’m just being paranoid because of all the creepy crawlies I’ve been dealing with. Have you ever seen any sort of wood floor infestation?  On Tue, Jul 16, 2024 at 8:15 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 16, 2024, 9:46 AM EDT
response: Thanks for your thoughts. While I have often seen insects scurrying around on wooden floors, rarely would they be inhabiting the floor itself.  Now if the floor was rotting, which doesn't appear to be your case, then insects might thenbe found within the wood.  A suggestion:  next time you scrub the floor, apply some Murphy's Oil to the surface and see if these tracks reappear.  Murphy's Oil is a great protective finish for wood floors. Good luck.  Please keep us informed.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 16, 2024, 2:29 PM EDT
response: Thanks so much for your reply!  On Tue, Jul 16, 2024 at 8:46 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 16, 2024, 2:53 PM EDT
response: Glad to be of assistance.  Have a pleasant afternoon.  Thanks again for consulting us.