Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Jakey boy on December 18, 2014, 08:02:02 am

Title: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Jakey boy on December 18, 2014, 08:02:02 am
Hi guys,

I often see them myself, those little brown and black dots stuck on the window, and many on here call them fly poo or bug poo etc, I thought id explain what they actually are once and for all,

Just to be clear they are not fly poo or bug poo, or any poo lol

What they are is 'artillery fungus' sometimes called 'shotgun fungus' this is a fungus that is usually found on mulch (potted plants etc) it then under pressure fires an egg (the brown dots we see) onto anything it will stick to, that sometimes happens to be a window, it drys hard, and that's what we see on the window.

I once heard someone say it was aeroplane oil landing on the ground - some people are seriously stupid  ???

Anyway hope that clears it up, it's a fungus, not a poo!
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: andyM on December 18, 2014, 08:06:38 am
What even on the inside?  ::)roll
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Jonny 87 on December 18, 2014, 08:08:15 am
Really?

I've always seen it underneath spiders nests/balls, and always thought it was related.

That's a revelation for me!
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Window Lickers on December 18, 2014, 08:09:56 am
some people are seriously stupid  ???

You they sure are.
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: rosskesava on December 18, 2014, 08:58:21 am
Really?

I've always seen it underneath spiders nests/balls, and always thought it was related.

That's a revelation for me!

It's quite simple really.

It's the artillery fungus firing at the spiders.
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: duncan h on December 18, 2014, 10:35:36 am
Really?

I've always seen it underneath spiders nests/balls, and always thought it was related.

That's a revelation for me!
Its spiders eggs. Well, in Yorkshire anyway  ;D
Sick of the bloody things. Takes all my water rinsing them away
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: slap bash on December 18, 2014, 10:55:53 am
I am totally with the fungus as we don`t see this fly and spider poo all over our homes do we. Strangely enough.
I one day i had a house with frames littered with black dots and just could not move then with water fed pole and say to my customer I will have to use a different method and that I had been told it fly poo she said no! its was the her neighbor that sprayed the fence with fence sealer that over sprayed onto the frames. Fly poo, I felt like a bit of fly poo.
All you need is one to call it and the rest will follow. For this exact reason so many are able to pull the wool on this forum. Its a democratic society if more than two are fooled then its gospel.
I shudder at advice offered on here on business and science eg RO tds and Di`s Psi and gas boilers, the law etc .The world is lost for a lack of knowledge.
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: SeanK on December 18, 2014, 11:18:35 am
At the end of the day it doesn't matter what it is or what you call it as long as you remove it.
But personally I always find them when there is an abundance of spiders nests and webs and hardly ever
get them in the colder months when there are less insects about.
You do get them on the insides of windows as well but that doesn't mean its not a fungus.
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Clever Forum Name on December 18, 2014, 11:38:06 am

My dad has a spider in his van and we can't catch it. He's a clever bugger. I don't know how he manages to survive all this time.

On the White of his door frames it's covered in black dots. All this time we thought it was the spider.

I will tell him to remove his potted plants and it should help.
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Jakey boy on December 18, 2014, 11:58:53 am
I'm not making it up by the way guys, Google it!
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Jakey boy on December 18, 2014, 11:59:33 am
some people are seriously stupid  ???

You they sure are.

Elaborate?
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Positivity on December 18, 2014, 12:06:31 pm
Don't know what the ones on the sills are but they stain the white plastic and they won't clean off with anything!
They fade in time with the sunlight but this year (Summer) they have been the worst I have ever seen!!
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Jakey boy on December 18, 2014, 12:11:52 pm
At the end of the day it doesn't matter what it is or what you call it as long as you remove it.
But personally I always find them when there is an abundance of spiders nests and webs and hardly ever
get them in the colder months when there are less insects about.
You do get them on the insides of windows as well but that doesn't mean its not a fungus.

You wouldn't see it in the colder months its not warm enough for the fungus to grow, also if they are found on the inside wondows, it'll probably be because the window has been open in the summer
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Dave Willis on December 18, 2014, 03:14:23 pm
Cavalry droppings are far worse.
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Ian Lancaster on December 18, 2014, 06:12:42 pm
The reality is that spots such as these can be from a variety of sources.

I have no doubt that artilliary fungus is responsible for much of them but spiders do poo!!  Underneath a spider's nest you will see a concentration of brown/black spots, especially on any ledges that may be below the nest and these are spider poo.  Flies will also deposit small round spots of dark coloured poo - you may see it if a fly is settled on a nice clean surface it presses its abdomen against the surface then pulls itself away, leaving it's poo behind.  Bees are even worse, in the spring after they emerge from hibernation they need to get rid of a lot of waste from inside them.  They also stick the poo to the glass/plastic then walk away pulling the poo from inside them leaving a yellow strand of poo a centimetre or two long firmly stuck to the surface.

Next time you go out, remember to take your magnifiying glass with you, come back and report your findings here and we can all have a nice cozy discussion about the many and varied types of poo and maybe even have a vote to see which is the favourite!!

 ;D
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Jonny 87 on December 18, 2014, 06:16:43 pm
The reality is that spots such as these can be from a variety of sources.

I have no doubt that artilliary fungus is responsible for much of them but spiders do poo!!  Underneath a spider's nest you will see a concentration of brown/black spots, especially on any ledges that may be below the nest and these are spider poo.  Flies will also deposit small round spots of dark coloured poo - you may see it if a fly is settled on a nice clean surface it presses its abdomen against the surface then pulls itself away, leaving it's poo behind.  Bees are even worse, in the spring after they emerge from hibernation they need to get rid of a lot of waste from inside them.  They also stick the poo to the glass/plastic then walk away pulling the poo from inside them leaving a yellow strand of poo a centimetre or two long firmly stuck to the surface.

Next time you go out, remember to take your magnifiying glass with you, come back and report your findings here and we can all have a nice cozy discussion about the many and varied types of poo and maybe even have a vote to see which is the favourite!!

 ;D

That has to be one of the most enjoyable posts I've read since I've been on this forum. Lol
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Ian Lancaster on December 18, 2014, 06:25:42 pm
The reality is that spots such as these can be from a variety of sources.

I have no doubt that artilliary fungus is responsible for much of them but spiders do poo!!  Underneath a spider's nest you will see a concentration of brown/black spots, especially on any ledges that may be below the nest and these are spider poo.  Flies will also deposit small round spots of dark coloured poo - you may see it if a fly is settled on a nice clean surface it presses its abdomen against the surface then pulls itself away, leaving it's poo behind.  Bees are even worse, in the spring after they emerge from hibernation they need to get rid of a lot of waste from inside them.  They also stick the poo to the glass/plastic then walk away pulling the poo from inside them leaving a yellow strand of poo a centimetre or two long firmly stuck to the surface.

Next time you go out, remember to take your magnifiying glass with you, come back and report your findings here and we can all have a nice cozy discussion about the many and varied types of poo and maybe even have a vote to see which is the favourite!!

 ;D

That has to be one of the most enjoyable posts I've read since I've been on this forum. Lol

Why, thank you, kind Sir!!
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Jakey boy on December 18, 2014, 06:39:59 pm
90% of the marks I see in the summer are fungus, spider poo usually gets washed away much easier! The hard dots are almost certainly always fungus
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: the king on December 18, 2014, 06:51:01 pm

My dad has a spider in his van and we can't catch it. He's a clever bugger. I don't know how he manages to survive all this time.

On the White of his door frames it's covered in black dots. All this time we thought it was the spider.

I will tell him to remove his potted plants and it should help.
;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Nick_Thompson on December 18, 2014, 07:14:06 pm
I'm with Ian!
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Don Kee on December 18, 2014, 07:30:58 pm
I'm with Ian!

Whens the big day..?
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Pj on December 18, 2014, 09:44:07 pm
Jakey boy, I do believe you have identified a problem we've been battling and losing to for a couple of years on one site.  Well done!  A very obscure identity, but most accurate.

Time to invent artillery fungus removal spray.  Now then where's that Corsodyl?
Title: Re: Let me explain what those 'fly specks' or little 'bug dots' on the windows are..
Post by: Jakey boy on December 18, 2014, 09:51:12 pm
Jakey boy, I do believe you have identified a problem we've been battling and losing to for a couple of years on one site.  Well done!  A very obscure identity, but most accurate.

Time to invent artillery fungus removal spray.  Now then where's that Corsodyl?

Thanks pj!