Okay, if you go to www dot dave s garden dot com, and go under Insect and Spider Identification, you can see all the pics (and no response, its pretty dead over there). Its much easier to see what is going on with all the pictures.

This post was edited by jeffpas on Wed, Nov 5, 14 at 19:20

Looks a lot like termite damage, the wood is full of tunnels or 'galleries' as they call them. It could be quite old so no live termites. Termites are not red, at least not the ones I've seen in the Midwest. Google them up and you'll see lots of pictures. They look like white ant-sized critters with a fat abdomen. They avoid light so when you expose something you have only seconds to see them.

If this is termite damage you need to have your whole foundation perimeter treated.

Someone on another forum said that carpenter ant tunnels typically go with the grain and look clean while termites go against it and also have debris.
I didn't see anything alive when I tipped it out..... and I have never seen winged termites or any termites.... however over the summer there were a lot of ants. Very small ones, lines of them at one point. I put Amdro out and that seemed to have killed or moved them off. They were eating the dog food.

Wish there was some other way to find out for sure before I drop $1000 on a termite treatment I may not need.... its better perspective I think to look at all 5 pictures on Dave's site as I mentioned, link not permitted. I'm sure there's some wood rot as there's no gutter and a fountain outside, plus some of the wood ripped out with the wall.

Is the garage attached to the house? If it isn't they sell termite treatment in a spray can with a little tube with nozzle on end to get in small places. What does rest of wall look like did you take a flashlight & see if it looks clear? I've had a few termites in garage ladder going to attic & I treated them with this spray stuff & that was end of that.

Is there any "sand"? This would be termite waste.
If termites you can spot treat with wd40.