Mysterious clay particles on my car?

[Artfuldodger]

Actually all the cars in my yard. I first thought it was the wind blowing it from a construction site. A google search says it is probably Yellow Jackets. Supposedly they take their clay or sand from their nest and go airborne with it.

I haven't seen any yellow jackets flying around though. I do have about 25 cicada killer wasp nests in my yard. They same article said they don't go airborne with their waste.

I've go one car in the back yard an three in the front drive. They all have these little clods of white clay/mica all over them. If I wash it off, it's back the next day.

Tiny little clods less than 3/16" in diameter and some loose white clay as well. I do know that the clay under my grass has a lot of this white clay/kaolin in it.

Hard to believe it's all coming from yellow jackets. They do mine kaolin all around Augusta but not real close. I haven't checked with any neighbors yet to see if they are experiencing this.

Strange!

 

[fireman32]

Do you have pecan or oak trees you park under? If so, could be web worm droppings.

 

[Artfuldodger]

Do you have pecan or oak trees you park under? If so, could be web worm droppings.

I did consider insect droppings but only one of our four cars is under a tree, that being a Popular tree. We've never experienced this phenomenon before. Same trees, same cars for a few years.

It's definitely white clay/kaolin with a small mix of mica. It is also dry. We haven't had any rain in a week. If you squish it between your fingers, it leaves chalk on your fingers mixed with mica.

My daughter came over for the day and her car was also covered in this clay. I don't mean a lot but just a bit on the hood, top, and trunk. Still a good sprinkle though.

My wife thought maybe cats. We've had that problem in past years but they only leave sand, paw prints, and scratches. This is white clay with mica.

 

[Artfuldodger]

Weird also but I've had Yellow Jacket nests in a few past summers without this clay or other dirt on the cars. We've only had Cicada Killers last summer but I didn't see any clay, dirt, or sand on any cars last summer.

 

[fireman32]

That is odd, the only other thing I can think of that handles dirt would be dirt dobbers and swallows. May have to set a trail camera up.

 

[Artfuldodger]

That is odd, the only other thing I can think of that handles dirt would be dirt dobbers and swallows. May have to set a trail camera up.

Both of those were mentioned in the article but ruled out as well. Those Cicada Killer Wasp holes are very near my cars. Must be about 25 in one spot. It was said though that they don't carry dirt airborne.

In a typical season 100 female cicada- killers will clear over 16,000 cicadas from the surrounding area. (Wow!)

Even if yellow jackets do carry dirt airborne, why would they carry it high enough to drop it on my cars? I would think maybe 3 feet high and a few feet from their nest.

 

[someguyintraffic]

Water droplets from dew catching dust and drying after dawn. You live near traveled dirt roads and active ag land on a open lot?

 

[Artfuldodger]

Water droplets from dew catching dust and drying after dawn. You live near traveled dirt roads and active ag land on a open lot?

No dirt roads around. I live in city suburb of Augusta. No construction going on either.
I didn't notice much clay on the cars today so it must be about over whatever it was.

This isn't my story but I found it searching for the answer. One theory was close to yours;

"How about dust in the atmosphere due to our drought, then incorporated into a thundercloud and falling as “raindrops” (dirtdrops???)?" Eugenia T.

http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/mysterious-clay-particles-reader-theories/

 

[NCHillbilly]

I have found red clay on my truck like that after a rain.

 

[Artfuldodger]

I have found red clay on my truck like that after a rain.

I think the guy who said it was yellow jackets was because they dig more after a rain.

“After a good rain, excavating activity often approaches a frenzy level"

http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/mysterious-clay-particles-conclusion/

 

[Artfuldodger]

“I suspect that if the folks who have this problem were to look closely within 50 feet or so of where the pellets appear they would likely discover a yellowjacket nest.

http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/mysterious-clay-particles-conclusion/

I sure wish I could find it. I have yet to see a single yellow jacket. If I do see one I'm going to check his jaws for clay.

 

[fireman32]

Just cut your grass, I found a yellow jacket nest in my yard last week this way. Not sure why I wasn’t stung. Too far from my cars to leave droppings and I didn’t leave my mower there long enough to let them drop on it.

 

[Artfuldodger]

Just cut your grass, I found a yellow jacket nest in my yard last week this way. Not sure why I wasn’t stung. Too far from my cars to leave droppings and I didn’t leave my mower there long enough to let them drop on it.

Funny that's what my neighbor said. "Cut your grass and you'll find it."
I wish I would have read that the cicada wasp killers were doing it. I don't really want to find a yellow jacket next. Especially with a lawn mower!

 

[Artfuldodger]

I will say it's probably an insect. The tiny clods look grainy/granular like what you see on an ant mound.
I did see a few more on the car in the back yard.

 

[Crakajak]

Found this on Walter Reeves web site.
We had this problem at work and found a yellow jacket nest close by. When the yellow jackets were gone the clay drops stopped. I know it was a yellowjacket nest because one of them stung me on the ear while I was investigating why clay was being dropped onto cars parked nearby. James M.

 

[95g atl]

I'm late to the game, but this happened to me around the same time.
Not sure what it was either.

 

[Artfuldodger]

We went out of town last weekend. Sunday when we returned my daughter had the tiny white clay lumps on her car. Just noticed it on one car this time.
I haven't seen any clay particles since late August. I haven't seen any yellow jackets even then, just cicada killers.