What are the little black dots on my siding?

What Are These Black Dots? Shotgun fungus (Sphaerobolus stellatus) originates in the mulch that homeowners love to add to landscapes this time of year. Its name is derived from the Greek word for “spear thrower,” as it indicates how the black spores are propelled onto a home’s siding.

How do you get rid of artillery mold on vinyl siding?

To remove artillery fungus from siding, you have to physically scrape it off. You can do it with steel wool, very gently so you don’t take the paint off. Or, you can treat artilery fungus with a mildicide like Jomax, and a pressure washer used very lightly so you don’t harm the siding.

How do you get rid of black spots on vinyl siding?

Bleach is one of the most popular remedies to zap those black spots, but it requires lots of scrubbing and a little muscle. There’s also hydrogen peroxide at a strong strength. Allow it to bubble on the siding, and then, sponge it off. Mouthwash is another bizarre solution to remove artillery fungus, but don’t laugh.

What is artillery mold?

The artillery fungus, or shotgun fungus, is a wood-decay fungus that likes to live on moist landscape mulch. The worst thing about this fungus is that it shoots spores up to 20 feet, which often land on siding, cars and anything else that surrounds the mulch.

What causes black spots on leaves?

Black spots on rose leaves are caused by the black spot fungus Diplocarpon rosae. Not only does it make the plant look unsightly, but it also causes the leaves to drop prematurely, which weakens the plant if it occurs repeatedly. The fungus spends the winter on the stems of the rose and on fallen leaves.

How do you get rid of artillery spores?

There is no recommended artillery fungus treatment. If the spores are fresh, sometimes soap and water with a scrub brush will remove a bit of the fungus. You can power wash them off of vinyl siding but such methods can be damaging to cars and wood siding.

How do you get black mold off siding?

Water And Vinegar Solution + Some Elbow Grease. 30% white vinegar mixed with 70% water, makes a great all-purpose vinyl siding cleaner that will remove light mold and mildew stains. If your mold is not budging a stronger cleaning solution might be needed.

How do I know if I have artillery fungus?

If you are unsure if it’s artillery fungus, inspect the spots with a magnifying glass. The spores of artillery fungus are globe-shaped and when you scratch the outer dark brown coating open, you’ll see a whitish, finely granular, gummy-like center.

How do you get rid of artillery molds?

How to Get Rid of Artillery Fungus. There is no recommended artillery fungus treatment. If the spores are fresh, sometimes soap and water with a scrub brush will remove a bit of the fungus. You can power wash them off of vinyl siding but such methods can be damaging to cars and wood siding.

Does overwatering cause black spots?

Too much water overfills the plant’s water storage tissue and causes it to bloat and explode. The black spots are a fungus that has developed in the damaged plant tissue.

Will removing mulch get rid of artillery fungus?

Our research at Penn State has shown that blending used mushroom compost with a landscape mulch at about 40 % will greatly suppress artillery fungus sporulation.

Does artillery fungus go away on its own?

Click here for Images of Shotgun Fungus. Because they are a product of wet mulch, warm temperatures and high humidity they can and will go away on their own in a relatively short period of time. When you apply hardwood bark mulch to your landscape, immediately the landscape has a sharp, crisp look to it.