Mystery critter messing up my mom's porch railing

[Tiffany carr]

So this is in oconee county sc. Happened about 1:00am two nights ago. We are stumped as to what critter could've done this. The property is known to have bears, bobcat, and an armadillo that wander through. One photo of the scratches it made if you look closely you can see hair stuck on the step

 

[EAGLE EYE 444]

Tiffany,

This is one time, I might be really way out in left field with my thoughts.

Somewhere in my mind, I think that it would likely be a dillo, as they have the uncanny ability to find all sorts of insects and boring type bugs etc. That is what the older wood on these steps looks like since you can see where most every ripped place all have evidence of insects boring and eating the wood as it decays as such. I really do think that dillos can smell these insects (worms or beetles etc) and will do their best to find them and eat them as much as possible.

Hopefully, someone else will also come along soon and give their thoughts about this weird happening also.

 

[trad bow]

That damage is two fold. The first is by carpenter bees boring into the wood to lay eggs. The second and most damage is by a woodpecker destroying the wood to get to the bee larvae.
I had the same problem till I replaced all my wood railings with pvc railings.

 

[Stang]

My guess is a woodpecker after carpenter bees but not at night. Are you certain it was at night? It would only take a few seconds for them to that. I watched one tear up a pressure treated 4x4 and do twice that much damage in less than 10 seconds.

 

[blood on the ground]

That damage is two fold. The first is by carpenter bees boring into the wood to lay eggs. The second and most damage is by a woodpecker destroying the wood to get to the bee larvae.
I had the same problem till I replaced all my wood railings with pvc railings.

You are spot on.

 

[Deer Fanatic]

I dont think an armadillo can climb stairs and get in a deck...

 

[Tiffany carr]

My guess is a woodpecker after carpenter bees but not at night. Are you certain it was at night? It would only take a few seconds for them to that. I watched one tear up a pressure treated 4x4 and do twice that much damage in less than 10 seconds.

it was definitely night, she heard a racket on the porch but assumed it was the cat. She said it DID sound MUCH bigger and noisier than Twitch but just kinda wondered what he was doing.

 

[Whitefeather]

Coon maybe trying to get the bee larvae?

 

[Hooked On Quack]

Looks identical to the damage on my front porch, but mine was done by a Pileated wood pecker, don't think they hang out at night though.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Looks to me like a pileated woodpecker going after carpenter bee larvae, too. I have identical damage on the rafters of one of my outbuildings, and I saw it happen.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

I’ll forth or fifth the woodpecker chasing carpenter bee. The eve of my porch looks just like that.

 

[acurasquirrel]

Bear?

 

[280bst]

It's the first wave of them there Killer Hornet's thing's. They Love carpenter bee young un's and chase off them Woody Woodpecker's. Glad I was able to clear that up fer y'all

 

[Danuwoa]

Bigfoot.

 

[SemperFiDawg]

I'm guessing a coon. I have seen them destroy rotten trees looking for larvae. That would satisfy the hair (none on woodpecker, and armadillo) and the time it happened (night). Probably wandered up looking for scraps or a trash can and smelled the larvae from the carpenter bees. That hair on them steps looks like coon hair too.

 

[Doug B.]

The damage is from a woodpecker that is after carpenter bee larvae. The noise at night on the porch could have been anything from dogs to coons to bears. Definitely two different events though.

 

[ghadarits]

Nah, woodpecker could never do dat!!

Nothing in the world is better than watching TV in my living room when one of those guys is hammering on a well dented chimney cap trying to attract a girl friend. Said nobody ever.....