OK, here's a really WEIRD one!

**Sunrise Guy** · 06-26-2008, 03:43 PM

I get a call from one of the property management companies in town that I do apartment complexes for. It seems this one tenant is complaining about a mite infestation in her apartment. The mites are coming in from a Post Oak that snugs right up to her apartment landing. The manager had two extermination companies come out and they couldn't identify the pest and didn't know what to do. Since the mites are coming in from the tree, they decided they needed a tree expert. OK, so I go on out and check out the tree. It's an older Post Oak, about sixty feet high with a 2'+ DBH. I take some leaf samples and can't really see evidence of mites on the gross. I knock on the gal's door. She comes out and I hear the Twilight Zone theme playing in my head. She just looks weird. I ask her what's going on. I also comment on the white powder she has spread all over the place, including her window sills. She tells me it's DE and it'll help keep the mites away. She tells me they are biting her, are getting in her ears to the point she puts in ear plugs when she's in her apartment, and are getting sucked into her air conditioner fan, outside, and getting blown into her apartment via her return vents! She has panty hose over the vents to catch the mites. OK----yeah---sure. I look at her place. It looks like she's just moved in. Boxes everywhere, hardly any furniture. Turns out she's been there four years. OK----yeah----. I comment on the DE on her window sill that is looking out at another Post Oak, one that is about eight feet away. "They are in that one too" she says. "They are climbing from it to under my window." OK---sure---- I ask her to show me the bites, if she would. She says, "They don't leave any marks, but they hurt!" OK, chiggers are mites and they sure leave marks, within 24-48 hours. I would bet that any mites that bite would leave marks. She's been having this "problem" for over a week. I ask if she has samples. She gives me a baggie with an ear plug, and a napkin with some little black dots. I let her know that I'll run the samples in my lab when I get home. I go home and scope the samples, leaves, etc. At 20-40X--Nothing! At 100-1000X---Nothing! The black dots are dirt and/or fungal spores. There is not an arachnid body feature to be found anywhere. I call the property manager and start running down my inspection, after telling her that I think the girl is disturbed. She stops me--"Miles, let me cut to the chase. I had a third extermination company run samples in their lab. The dots and other "mites" are asphalt and sand grains!" Case closed!

OK, y'all beat this one, for weirdness factor------

**JeffL** · 06-26-2008, 04:01 PM

Ha.....I cant beat a tree story like that, but I used to be an oil heat tech, and there was more than......alot of times I went to houses for "noises" coming from their heating system. Talk about chasing ghosts.

**woodchuck361** · 06-26-2008, 04:14 PM

Hey Crazytown just called its time for you to go home. Glad you got out alive. Have to be really careful these days. I used to do Q.C. for a flooring company. I would always get background if I had to go to an occupied house.

**treemandan** · 06-26-2008, 04:49 PM

weell , there was this time the neighbor lady came over for some tree guy loving in her short bath robe only... and bent over.
Normally this would have been cool but she was a freak for sure. Proof they don't only come out at night she was. She was so wacked, not one trace of sanity and hideous to boot. she acted like she was on some serious meds, I usually act the opposite but she wouldn't leave until the one guy... I can't go on. THAT was disturbing and she was fully grown.
I had one lady call me to come over, she came out looking like a strung out Las Vegas whore wannabe. Her first words were about cutting down the almost fully mature prominent jap maple in the front beds. By the way she clenched her teeth and pointed at her 'manfriend?' and said with glaring eyes" see arsehole!?" and " you m and f'er!" made me think she was trying to hurt the guy somehow.
He did not seem to care though and just kept his arms folded and followed us around quietly while she tried to angrely rip trees down in her Gucci glasses and fake leopard skin slippers.She came out of her slippers a few times and hit the deck pretty hard but got right back up screaming and cursing at everything just as well as before though. She did keep apologizing for her angst but all I said was " don't mind me,please, continue."
She did! And even in the cold rain for 30 minutes we circum-navigated the property while she kept on her tirad. When we got to the one side that the rental lot on the other side of the fence occupied I could see what this lady was up against. She had big leaning sticks coming from her side going up and over the rental yards stuff. This stuff was in deep neglect and some of it big osage.
I did not get invovled of course but I felt for everybody that was, even for the crazy lady.
I am going to ask John Westerman if he put the lady up to trying to mess with me cause he knows ALL about those trees.

**BlueRidgeMark** · 06-26-2008, 05:20 PM

Just be glad she didn't invite you to come inside!

**Brush Hog** · 06-26-2008, 05:27 PM

Went to do an estimate on some trees and the guy comes out in his skivvies. He says "let me get some pants on" and I said"PLEASE DO". I gave him a price and he accepted so I told him I'll be back on this day. When that day came I got behind on the job before his so I call him and tell him I'm running behind so I'll call you by noon to let you know if I'll be there today but if you DON'T hear from me that means I'm coming. So I show up at his house and he says to me " oh you showing your helper the job". Nope I'm here to do it but you never called. I said yes that meant I would be here today. Well you can't do it today he says. I though he was pulling my chain but he said it again. I said, fine I'll call you when I can do it. Drove off swearing up a storm and never called the

hole back. When he came out the first time it looked like he was on a three day binge with crack. I guess it takes all kinds to make the world go round

**ClimbinArbor** · 06-26-2008, 09:23 PM

got a guy with alzheymers(sp) that i take firewood too, hes always fun.

knocked on a guys door that had a 20" cottonwood limb on the house once. guy comes out in shorts and nothin else. looked like 5 miles of bad road. i told him i stopped by to talk about the limb. he said what limb. i showed him and he laughed. i says whats funny. he says im a climber. i say heres my card call me if you need a hand. card drops. right onto this guys NASTY foot lol. tip off the hat and i was gone lol.

**ropensaddle** · 06-26-2008, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Sunrise Guy

I get a call from one of the property management companies in town that I do apartment complexes for. It seems this one tenant is complaining about a mite infestation in her apartment. The mites are coming in from a Post Oak that snugs right up to her apartment landing. The manager had two extermination companies come out and they couldn't identify the pest and didn't know what to do. Since the mites are coming in from the tree, they decided they needed a tree expert. OK, so I go on out and check out the tree. It's an older Post Oak, about sixty feet high with a 2'+ DBH. I take some leaf samples and can't really see evidence of mites on the gross. I knock on the gal's door. She comes out and I hear the Twilight Zone theme playing in my head. She just looks weird. I ask her what's going on. I also comment on the white powder she has spread all over the place, including her window sills. She tells me it's DE and it'll help keep the mites away. She tells me they are biting her, are getting in her ears to the point she puts in ear plugs when she's in her apartment, and are getting sucked into her air conditioner fan, outside, and getting blown into her apartment via her return vents! She has panty hose over the vents to catch the mites. OK----yeah---sure. I look at her place. It looks like she's just moved in. Boxes everywhere, hardly any furniture. Turns out she's been there four years. OK----yeah----. I comment on the DE on her window sill that is looking out at another Post Oak, one that is about eight feet away. "They are in that one too" she says. "They are climbing from it to under my window." OK---sure---- I ask her to show me the bites, if she would. She says, "They don't leave any marks, but they hurt!" OK, chiggers are mites and they sure leave marks, within 24-48 hours. I would bet that any mites that bite would leave marks. She's been having this "problem" for over a week. I ask if she has samples. She gives me a baggie with an ear plug, and a napkin with some little black dots. I let her know that I'll run the samples in my lab when I get home. I go home and scope the samples, leaves, etc. At 20-40X--Nothing! At 100-1000X---Nothing! The black dots are dirt and/or fungal spores. There is not an arachnid body feature to be found anywhere. I call the property manager and start running down my inspection, after telling her that I think the girl is disturbed. She stops me--"Miles, let me cut to the chase. I had a third extermination company run samples in their lab. The dots and other "mites" are asphalt and sand grains!" Case closed!

OK, y'all beat this one, for weirdness factor------

You are lucky, I would never have went to that door crabs suck

**woodchuck361** · 06-27-2008, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by ropensaddle

You are lucky, I would never have went to that door crabs suck

Better to have lobsters on the piano then crabs on the organ, I always say.

**ClimbinArbor** · 06-27-2008, 09:46 PM

yall are sick lol

**Bigus Termitius** · 06-28-2008, 03:12 AM

Was there any evidence of jimsonweed, Clouseau?

**ohio03trdtaco** · 06-28-2008, 04:09 AM

Takes all kinds. I am a Cable tech and have wanted to stop by the fire department for a hazmat suit before I go in to some houses. Do get lucky from time to to time, when you have a early appointment and we are a college town

can make your day just a little better