A “white cottony substance” covers the walls of this reader’s home in Angels Camp, California, and she wonders if we can identify what is leaving it behind. She states she has been living with this “infestation” for two years and that it has spread to her entire home, and to herself and her dog.

The picture our reader sent is from behind her dresser, and it is quite difficult to make out exactly what we are looking at here. Obviously, it is the white substance our reader has been telling us about, but we cannot make out any of the textures of the substance, nor can we see any organism photographed that might be making it. There is also no mention of having seen any organism that could be producing this substance. Our reader states that “everything is worse” during the summer because of the heat, which is understandable. Bug infestations typically occur more during the summer, as that is when bugs and other organisms roam most freely. Additionally, our reader states that she is allergic to these “secretions” from “whatever it is” that is making this substance.

Although there are organisms that do leave cotton or silk-like substances behind, such as the casemaking clothes moth larva and the silkworm, they do not leave nearly this much behind, and surely do not have the ability to cover an entire home in two years without being spotted. In fact, we question if this was made by an organism at all, or if it is some type of fungus that is growing on the walls of our reader’s home. We recommend that our reader takes a look at this webpage on white molds in the home and see if any of these match up with that she is finding in her home. As the photo our reader sent in is of a low resolution, it is difficult for us to compare it to any of the photographs on this webpage.

Either way, whether the substance is animal-made or a fungus, it is clearly having a negative effect on our reader’s health. Also, seeing as this situation seems to be medical in nature (as the substance is “on” our reader and her dog and affecting her health), we are unable to do much for our reader in terms of identifying, let alone providing advice about, this situation, as we are not medical professionals.

What we can do is recommend that our reader seek multiple types of help, for herself, her dog and her home. Firstly, we recommend that our reader call a professional about what could potentially be mold in her home. We want our reader to think back to the first place she noticed the white substance two years ago; where did it originate? Depending on where it might be spreading from, our reader could call all types of people. For example, if it started in the bathroom, she might want to call a plumber, as there might be a leak somewhere or a damaged pipe. She could likewise call an exterminator if she is sure it is an organism causing this. We do not usually advocate extermination of any organism, but as this clearly has gotten out of hand and is negatively impacting our reader’s life, we feel it is justified in this case.

Secondly, we advise that our reader consult a medical professional to get a check up on her health. She can then find out if it is allergies she is experiencing, and how exactly her health might be impacted. We recommend that she consults with her doctor or a GP, but likewise if our reader has reasonable cause to believe that she is dealing with a parasite, she may want to consult an infectious disease physician instead. To find one in her area, she can Google ‘infectious disease physician (Angels Camp CA)’ or ‘travel disease doctor (Angels Camp CA).

Lastly, our reader should also take her dog to see a vet so it can also get the treatment it needs and deserves. We are sure our reader knows this already, but she should also make sure her dog is not eating any of the substance that is on the walls. As we do not know where it came from and what it might contain, eating it could be very damaging to the dog’s health.

To conclude, we do not know what, if anything, is secreting the white, cottony substance that is covering our reader’s home. As our reader has not reported seeing any organism in her home, we cannot say for sure if the substance is the product of an animal, a fungi, or something else. We have never seen something like this inside a person’s home, so this a new one for us.

Summary

Article Name

White, Cottony Substance Torment This Woman's Health, Dog and Home

Description

A "white cottony substance" covers the walls of this reader's home in Angels Camp, California, and she wonders if we can identify what is leaving it behind. She states she has been living with this "infestation" for two years and that it has spread to her entire home, and to herself and her dog.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton