These little black dots that are often found on siding and automobiles are not what they seem. Many people are told that they are insect feces and sometimes sold pest control contracts because of it.
The truth is these little dots have nothing to do with insects at all. They are actually called “Artillery Fungus” or “Shot gun fungus”. This type of fungus is a wood destroying fungus and is usually associated with mulch. It will not damage your home other than the appearance because it only feeds on decaying or roting wood which is basically what mulch is. The reason it is called “Artillery” or “Shotgun” fungus is because the fungus actually shoots these spores into the air sometimes as high as 20 ft. They will tend to aim toward the sun light or toward light colored painted siding or cars.
Getting rid of this problem can be extremely difficult because chemicals have very little effect on it. Sometimes all you can do is remove all the mulch and replace it with something not cellulose based. The spots themselves are also very hard to remove, they usually leave behind stains even when being pressure washed. I have heard some stories of Mr. Clean Magic erasers doing the trick but it is very labor intensive. Visit our Raleigh pest control page.
These little black dots that are often found on siding and automobiles are not what they seem. Many people are told that they are insect feces and sometimes sold pest control contracts because of it.
The truth is these little dots have nothing to do with insects at all. They are actually called “Artillery Fungus” or “Shot gun fungus”. This type of fungus is a wood destroying fungus and is usually associated with mulch. It will not damage your home other than the appearance because it only feeds on decaying or roting wood which is basically what mulch is. The reason it is called “Artillery” or “Shotgun” fungus is because the fungus actually shoots these spores into the air sometimes as high as 20 ft. They will tend to aim toward the sun light or toward light colored painted siding or cars.
Getting rid of this problem can be extremely difficult because chemicals have very little effect on it. Sometimes all you can do is remove all the mulch and replace it with something not cellulose based. The spots themselves are also very hard to remove, they usually leave behind stains even when being pressure washed. I have heard some stories of Mr. Clean Magic erasers doing the trick but it is very labor intensive. Visit our Raleigh pest control page.