Fungus or algea? Either way, its disgusting and has to go!

OK, I am at wits end on the mystery slime I have growing on my gravel!

Its a putrid dark brown green slimey thing that seems to love a rain. Which almost makes me think its an algea bloom of some description. But does not algea require a underwater environment???

Its slicker than snot too. Cant say it has any oder. It grows in full sun or shade.. its not picky! Its icky and like jello and thick!

I am not sure if its a fungus or algea and I have gotten very desperate to ID it. SO desperate in fact to take the blob down to the Health Department and Department of Ag for their examination so I can learn the cause and the cure so I can get it to cease and disist.

Im sick of it, its gross and disgusting and HAS TO GO!

I wish I had a photo of it, but that will have to wait until morning....it will be there then I am sure.. its been there for a too long time and has overstayed its welcome.

I saw your post and was curious if it's the same thing we have growing on the gravels in our driveway. This is the closest thing I could find - does it look like this? Identified as Exidia glandulosa - have no idea how to get rid of it but it IS gross :(

OMG THATS IT THE BLOB! HOLY KRIPES!

ITS NASTY!

#$%^&* stuff looks like an environmental disaster!

So where on earth did you find the ID? Lets get rid of it befor it literally kills some one.. its like ice in the warm weather after a rain!

This crude started out as a little mass then all of a sudden WHAM!

It will dry up, but as soon as it rains ITS BAAAAACK! I am wondering
if it is thriving on nitrates? Will it hurt my well or what?

I have a few suspicions on what may have started it but only guessing.

Scary looking mess if I ever saw!

The hub thinks bleach might get it.. but is it an algea?

Grows on old decaying wood - might there be some beneath the gravel? Inedible (so don't try eating it), but harmless, I'd just let it be . . . conquer your fears, relax, and enjoy it. Show it to the neighbours and have a laugh while it grosses them out instead ;-)

Resin

Resin BITE yer tongue, that thing is not harmless.. I have fallen on it one too many times, its not anything to enjoy and IT HAS GOT TO GO.

Anyone eating it has got to be crazy.

And it grows on ROCKs...however I do not discount the fact that something DEAD is promoting its environment.

I WANT IT OUT OUT OUT NEVER TO COME AGAIN.

Thjis is one blob that is a curse.

I think it's amazing looking! If it wasn't for these types of organisms things wouldn't rot down.. just because it happens to be in a place that is inconvenient for you doesn't make it gross!

Um, this is not just an inconvenience to me. Dont call any broken bones a convenience. It has to go. NO IF ANDS OR BUTS. It serves no purpose where it is and I shure as HEQQ would not want anyone hurt on it. Dont need MY BONES rotting down.

We are not having a BEAUTY contest to keep it.

And, the darned stuff acts like its on viagra.

If you think its such a beauty, come, take all you want!

Personally I do not want it share it with friends and it can crawl back in the dark hole where it came from never to come back.

So, the question still remains how do we get rid of this fungus amongus?

what started it?

Gotta be something to do to get ride of it besides calling Rothchilds with a septic sucker to slurp it up and haul it out?

I sure the heck l do not want to start seeing three legged toads.

And I will not relax until it is killed, dead, gone, PHFFFFT! You will not convince me its a gooood thing while it exists on my premis..

See, I am not the only desperate wannabee poo green blob killer.


Hmmm, rcn48.....Lets try LYSOL! LOL! No seriously, I want an expert opinion on how to murder this nasty thing.

Yano, the thought occured its a bacterial thing. This ones acts like a yeast infection except GREEN.. icky poo colered green.

Gross looking I can handle. Its the icky pooo of it all in such grand mass that we do not want.

So lets get on with how to! ANd hurry, it spreads fast.

Well posting this on the forum for fungi lovers, don't expect everyone to share your disgust :)

kniphofia, I don't want to offend any fungi lovers and if this particular fungi showed up anywhere else I definitely wouldn't have a problem with it. I'm always on the lookout for interesting fungi, moss and lichen but this particular fungi has created a dangerous situation for anyone walking in our driveway!

BB, I've searched and can't find much information. I did see where someone had used cornmeal successfully to rid their lawn of another similar looking fungi. I believe the key is to keep the area dry since the rain or moisture is what causes it to spread.

To each his own...not everyone shares the same opinion so we can agree to disagree!

While it is a fascination, too much of anything is not good. Kripesake, 50' by 8' as rcn48 says is quite a bit of this and it is not a good thing.

Im wondering.. diamecious earth maybe?

Well, the gravel its on here is limestone like. Hmm would ag lime feed it or kill it then? Im still leaning on bleach, maybe hydrogen peroxide.. but then a pumpkin would react badlyu to that and I sure the heck do not want to have more OOOZ!

I dont want to put anything on this thing to make it spread any worse than it is nor to hurt the environment being close to a well.

Most fungus go away by themselves after a short time.. this seems to live long so there is something it has to be thriving on to perpetuate its growth. ergo, something too that will impede it.

So lets use reverse pshycology, you like it, you want more and more what do we feed it.. BESIDES WOOD CHIPS? What makes it thrive so well? Gotta be some germ thats making it take over the world!

rcn48. its not in the lawn here. And I have tried talking to God and um, the rains have to keep coming! Ergo the dry ooz then goes back to INSTANT jello!

This is why I say its more of an algea bloom nthan a fungus and duh, it aint no moss! Id trade it for moss in a heartbeat! Now algea, correct me if I am wrong, that comes from something septic no?

Maybe a layer of coarse sand on top would at least stop it from being so slippy

You definitely don't want to use bleach or lysol close to a well - that could make the water unsafe for months

Resin

Kniphofia - I have an odd liking for poison ivy, but just because I am not allergic to it will not make me lay in it!

Well chlorine in certain amounts can be safe to a well, but obviously we got a large area to cover so that is a factor so maybe treating it a little at a tiem would be in order, but I bet that will not work as rapid as it can spread.

Hey Im grasping for straws here! Im no expert and want a serious and safe cure and absolutely do not want to be a detriment.

OK rcn48, if the health department or the department of ag does not tell me how to irradicate it and soon, I think we may have to flame throwers! But I bet it will be baaaack right after a rain again thoogh... theres just no easy answer.


How about muradic acid?

Exidia glandulosa looked it up.. came away with a couple websites

http://healing-mushrooms.net/archives/exidia-glandulosa.html

Ok, Common name >>> called Witches Butter. Sounds evil.

On my end here, mine looks like it froze to death last night (YAY!)
and it got all "papery" Quick, get a vacuum! We could bag it and tag it! LOL

Seriously though if this fungus is sooo goood, what is so fabulous about it? if it has any value at all, what is it? Other than a ruddy nuisance under my feet? Gimme one good reason why we should not kill it... well maybe more than one if you have them...! If its sposed to love wood so much, why does it insist on growing on my rocks????

After a rain, it will be back.. ugh!

And hey, if someone is driving on rcn48s driveway, wont the stuff migrate to infest another area? Good Gads there, there goes your insurance.. I can see it now, the headlines will read "NEIGHBOR BREAKS HIP IN SLIP AND GIVES LANDOWNER FAT LIP?" Nope, dont want that to happen. Need sign: CAUTION BEWARE OF OOZE!

According to what I read, they used to throw this stuff on a fire to dispell witchcraft.

Blossumbuddy and RCN, I think a flame thrower is definitely in order. Do either of you have a Weed Dragon, or know someone who does, so you can borrow it? I'm sure you could burn it off. It would be nice to appreciate it somewhere else, not so slippery.

spooky aint it!

Blossom, try putting a 1 part bleach 9 parts water water combination into a pump sprayer and spray away. It won't have much runoff to hurt anything. If the blob is feeding on something in the soil under the gravel, it will eventually use up the food source. It sort of looks like a cross between guts and poop. I don't know if the bleach will help, but it is cheap enough to try it out.

Sprinkling snow salt on it might kill it too. You could sweep the excess up as it starts to melt from the rains.

This message was edited Dec 6, 2009 6:46 PM

Were going for the Weed Dragon. Just priced one and the setup will run about $100 not inluding the porpane. We are after a total inialation of this devil. Whats causing ours seems to be a perpetual food source.

Oh and I have to warn you do not eat this thing! Some websites say its edible and some dont so it is inconclusive on that kind of "yummy" !

"mom" your description is almost sounding like half of what feeds it.. SCAT is one of its delectables. Yup looks like poop!

Salt would not be a good idea based on what is in the vacinity such as underground pipes and we definitely done need that carrosion busting water mains. Had my fill of busted pipes last winter and we dont use salt.

Now the bleach idea, that might work. We will have to wait to see when this monstor comes reserrects itself back after a rain. Right now ours is temporarily frozen. It has turned to dust.. so ergo probably how it also spreads itself.

I still do not understand why it is on top of the rocks.

It's very strange. Blossum, with my weed dragon, I opted to get the pull along propane holding dolly. Neither DSO or I could get comfortable with the idea of wearing a backpack full of propane.

Is that your leach field for your gray water?

"mom" - It would be impossible for it to be our grey water or our leach feild since that is down hill and away in our situation. Could be another source of it though but that is a good question and possiblity of a source. That is why I am having the health department look into it.
Need to verify some things before we go looney in killing it.

stormyla - yup, gotta have wheels for the Dragon! Thankfully already have something for that. And for safety, this looks like a two man job.... one to roll the cart and one to throw the flame and to have a hose nearby. Hmmm maybe the hubs welder! LOL! NOT!

I can see why the olden days they thought this was witchcraft. That ooze reserects itself after a rain. They would throw it on the fire,. I imagine it was probably something discovered during the witch burning days... yikes and they may have thrown it on the fire as well. Superstitions, ooooh boy!

LOL, Blossum, just don't let anyone male work with it unsupervised. The Rambo syndrome takes over. I've used it around my bed edges and on some really bad weed sites. Nothing caught fire, even the mulch didn't. But a few perennials looked completely singed to death. They did survive, but spent a season defoliated.

LOL! Luv it, the rrrrRRRRAMBO Syndrone! Got it and Boy and duty do I know that one..

Several things a male of the specie needs supervision with...

Dragon weeders,
chain sawers, skill sawers
weed whackers,
lawnmowers, shotguns
and just about every other toy Santa has invented! Oh and socks. My guy can always mange to get them on the wrong foot for some reason! RRR!

I think Im gonna make him push the dang cart!!!! Its my turn to play with a flame thrower!! hehehehe!

Oh thistle patch yer next!! GIMMME THAT THANG! Oh why did not we think of this gadget before!











Did I mention socks???

Yes you did. None of my socks have matched since I let DSO fold the laundry. I just make sure my slacks cover them.

You are right about all of those toys. Add welding torches, crossbows, nail guns, bulb augers and irons to that list.

Weed Dragon will get the Thistle, but it will come back.

Well if ya get it again, flame it again.. should not come back after about the third go around! Least as that has also been my experience mowing that one! Th3e thistle is one of those I enjoy chopping its reproductive system off of. You do that a couple of times and it definetely well get the message not to reproduce again.

Oh how Im gonna have fun torching that giant miscanthus! Hot time in the old town tonite! Well, maybe not tonite...

Did I mention socks! LOL! And dont ever get more than one bikini! You will definetely have the same issues as with socks!


Supervisor! LOL!



I have tho come up with the solution for socks.. and thats uni-sox.. as for the bikini issue.. dont think we can solve that one. Not in this relation anyway! LOL!

Oh and heaven forbid you let a may go alone to shop for a vehicle....lesson of course he likes JD which thats just fine by me. I like green! LOL! But not in a personal truck!

Now where were we.. oh, ye-ah! Shopping for the Dragon Weeder.. Wonder if Nasco carries it!

I found the best buy for mine on Amazon. Go look there first. They are at least 25% cheaper.

Blossum, before you take your flame thrower to that stuff, just try it on a small corner just in case that stuff emits any flamable gases. Don't want to see you blown to kingdom come.

LOL! ..... not funny! Well, that is why too we are having the health department come look.. dang methane gases from some sewer not of my own! And there goes old Blossom airborne to LA!

Well, it snowed a little so we will not be flaming anything too soon. The stuff has gone to crisp. But I bet, now might be even a better time to flame it than when it is wet and jello like.

It appears that the "butter blob" likes decaying wood. Mainly from birch, pine and a few other trees. But the mystery still remains here why the constant feed source? Why on the rocks?

RCN, Debbie Since Exidia glandulosa prefers oak debris I was wondering if that my be something you and Blossom have in common. If so something as simple as a pH adjustment or neutralizing the tannic acid my break the cycle. A little sodium bicarbonate or acetic acid sure wouldn't hurt anything. I'm afraid flaming it my just blow the spores around. Ric

Um, its not just oak trees, its birch, beech, pine and oak.

I dont have any beech, birch, pine or oak in that vacinity, but the neighb does over the fence nearby and the blob is on my gravel.. more than likely from the debris the trees have dumped on me, but cant say I have seen it ON the tree, only on MY gravel.

The gravel is lime so it is sweet.

In the spring when it gets goey again I will try the bleach idea, but I think flaming it is going to be the way to go to not only get the blob, but the tree debres and I am afraid this is going to be a continueing problem IF indeed the thing is feeding on the tree matter.

I have NEVER seen it in the grass or in the garden.

And while I do use wood chips in the garden, I have never seen the blob there, and only on the ROCKS.

Weird peice of work aint it!

Well, we are still not getting why the blob is growing on the rocks.

The Helath department come out and looked at the issues that surronded the situation here and they are stumped.

I wanna know what the derned stuffs food supply is. Something has got to be fueling it. Take its food source away and maybe that will kill it???

While it may look like that witches butter, I am not sure that it is one and the same.

Anyone else making heads or tails on this mystery mess?

Right now as I have snow so the "BLOB is in remission.. it has turned into a scalely critter, forze, but I swear it is not dead. Just pretending while it lurks under the snow. Just as sure as above freezing weather and rain will return the thing will turn back to jello.

I took the thing to the department of ag... still waiting on more of the verdict.

Blossum, I'm surprised you could find it in this weather. Aren't you under snow cover?

Yes I am and that dang
slime is under the snow.. it does not kill it.