Sounds of rain, but no rain

[Bmyers]

Saturday we were out at the farm and we had been working all day and was getting stuff put away. We were in the old barn and it sounded like raindrops were hitting the roof, which really surprised us because it was sunny out.

Nephews and I walked outside and no rain. Walked back into the barn and we hard the same sound again. Looked all over and couldn't see anything causing the sound.

I hit one of the roof joist and the sound stopped for about 30 seconds and then started again. I smacked it again and same results. Nephews decided they had enough and went outside. I wandered around and looked in the different spots, but could find nothing. The only thing I noticed was we have had LOTS of carpenter bees. We have been trapping them and we fill up sticky traps and the wood/jar traps with them.

My only guess is that the noise could be carpenter bee larvae. My limited understanding is that they are very noisy. Yet, I have never heard that before unless it was raining.

So, I didn't know if anyone else had any ideas?

 

[NCL4701]

I’ve been in a tin roofed shed when it sounded like rain due to a large quantity of dry leaves falling on it in the fall. I’ve also been in a tin roofed shed when it sounded like I was being shot at with a full auto .22LR (if there is such a thing) due to the massive volume of big ass acorns hitting the roof. Have been at a trash pile so teeming with maggots their nasty little jaws clicking sounded very much like rain on a tin roof; there were so many you couldn’t see the trash under all the maggots.

I guess the only point is if you have so many carpenter bee larvae eating the wood of your shed it sounds like rain when they’re chowing down on the framing, you almost certainly have a LOT of larvae actively eating your shed. If that’s the cause, you might consider getting a professional exterminator out there while there’s something left of your shed. Killing insects inside tunnels in solid wood framing isn’t exactly easy.

 

[Lil Foot]

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[Bmyers]

I’ve been in a tin roofed shed when it sounded like rain due to a large quantity of dry leaves falling on it in the fall. I’ve also been in a tin roofed shed when it sounded like I was being shot at with a full auto .22LR (if there is such a thing) due to the massive volume of big ass acorns hitting the roof. Have been at a trash pile so teeming with maggots their nasty little jaws clicking sounded very much like rain on a tin roof; there were so many you couldn’t see the trash under all the maggots.

I guess the only point is if you have so many carpenter bee larvae eating the wood of your shed it sounds like rain when they’re chowing down on the framing, you almost certainly have a LOT of larvae actively eating your shed. If that’s the cause, you might consider getting a professional exterminator out there while there’s something left of your shed. Killing insects inside tunnels in solid wood framing isn’t exactly easy.

It definitely has me concerned. As I was looking around, I found several boards on the walls that have almost been chewed all the way through, assuming the ground hogs have done that.

We have made HUGE progress with the numbers of carpenter bees present. Two years ago, they were so thick you could swing one of those electric big zappers and take out a dozen of them each time. Last year, we went through a dozen sticky traps and every weekend we were emptying the jar traps.

Fast forward to this year, we have only replaced two traps so far this year and the jar traps have been slower to fill, emptying them once a month or so. Yet, we no longer have swarms of them around.

What surprises me, so far I haven't been able to find any termite signs anywhere.

We have made a lot progress on clearing and cleaning, but we still have more work to do. Relocating the ground hogs will most likely be a fall project. We have a large brush pile that they run from the barn over to the pile and hide in it. Once that pile is gone, we will be able to relocate the multiple ground hogs that have taken up residents.

 

[D2Cat]

I don't think it's the ground hogs chewing on the lumber. More likely rats.

 

[Bmyers]

I don't think it's the ground hogs chewing on the lumber. More likely rats.

Could be. I know we had a large mice infestation initially when we open up the barn. The use of some 5-gallon bucket traps, we got rid of several buckets of mice. Now we have a couple of stray cats that hang around and I couldn't tell you the last time I seen a mouse. We went to using poison in the farm house to control the mice, but outside since the cats have shown up, we stopped using any poison out in the barns, just using traps.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Steel roof?
Could be the steel expanding under the fasteners?
It can sound like rain falling.

 

[johnjk]

We had porcupines that chewed the bottom of our cabin boards when I was a kid. See any quills laying around?

 

[Bmyers]

We had porcupines that chewed the bottom of our cabin boards when I was a kid. See any quills laying around?

No. I don't know if I have ever seen a porcupine on the farm. Snakes, lizards, coyotes, tomcats, eagles, hawks, turkey vultures, owls, racoons, possums, deer, ground hogs, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, moles, mice, bats, lots of different birds, and cats/dogs, but never seen a porcupine.

They say we have armadillos, but I have never seen one.

I don't know if porcupines live in Southern Illinois. Even over the years of hunting, I can't say I have ever come across one.

 

[johnjk]

No. I don't know if I have ever seen a porcupine on the farm. Snakes, lizards, coyotes, tomcats, eagles, hawks, turkey vultures, owls, racoons, possums, deer, ground hogs, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, moles, mice, bats, lots of different birds, and cats/dogs, but never seen a porcupine.

They say we have armadillos, but I have never seen one.

I don't know if porcupines live in Southern Illinois. Even over the years of hunting, I can't say I have ever come across one.

Interesting. The cabin was in Western PA. Never seen them in OH either. Did a Google on their range and they do not live in our areas.

 

[D2Cat]

Interesting. The cabin was in Western PA. Never seen them in OH either. Did a Google on their range and they do not live in our areas. View attachment 108091

Johnjk, I'm OK with that!!