What poop is this?
February 12, 2017 7:07 AM Subscribe
Hubby and I found some strange round black "drips" around the tub this morning, that were not there last night. Neither of them are directly underneath any fixtures, so I'm thinking its animal or bug feces and not something like a rust/mold drip from plumbing. However if its feces, I can't figure out what it's from.
The first drip is about half-inch around and looks like a wet black drop. (picture) There's another smaller/blacker drip, about 1/4" around (picture), in the corner of the wall around the tub. These look very liquid, almost like paint drops. They were both dried this morning, although a bit of water and some rubbing took them off.
What could have left these? I'm in Houston, so some likely culprits seem like roaches (we've killed two in the house in recent weeks), or possibly a rodent, although we didn't see one and I'm not sure how he could have gotten into the bathroom. (There's no window in there, although we did notice the cap around the shower head arm looked pushed out a bit - between 1/8 and 1/4 inch.) We also have geckos around here, but they're usually outside. And the drippy drops don't look anything like poop from any of those critters, unless it's a critter with diarrhea or something. (eww)
Hubby also said he had seen a drop like this behind the bathroom door about a week or two ago, so I guess our visitor has been here before.
We're planning to spray some Great Stuff into the wall opening where the shower arm comes out, and then maybe glue the cap onto the wall. Aside from that, I'm debating what else to put out - roach traps? Glue board on top of a cabinet? Should I just call pest control?
The first drip is about half-inch around and looks like a wet black drop. (picture) There's another smaller/blacker drip, about 1/4" around (picture), in the corner of the wall around the tub. These look very liquid, almost like paint drops. They were both dried this morning, although a bit of water and some rubbing took them off.
What could have left these? I'm in Houston, so some likely culprits seem like roaches (we've killed two in the house in recent weeks), or possibly a rodent, although we didn't see one and I'm not sure how he could have gotten into the bathroom. (There's no window in there, although we did notice the cap around the shower head arm looked pushed out a bit - between 1/8 and 1/4 inch.) We also have geckos around here, but they're usually outside. And the drippy drops don't look anything like poop from any of those critters, unless it's a critter with diarrhea or something. (eww)
Hubby also said he had seen a drop like this behind the bathroom door about a week or two ago, so I guess our visitor has been here before.
We're planning to spray some Great Stuff into the wall opening where the shower arm comes out, and then maybe glue the cap onto the wall. Aside from that, I'm debating what else to put out - roach traps? Glue board on top of a cabinet? Should I just call pest control?
I really don't think that is any kind of animal or bug dropping. First thought , based on experience - looks like black hair dye. Is anyone in your household dyeing their hair (or other things, such as leather, yarn, fabric), possibly without your knowledge or permission? Also looks like watered down paint a bit, or ink. Have you painted anything black anywhere?
Have you looked up at the ceiling to see if there's anything leaking or any discoloration?
posted by the webmistress at 7:50 AM on February 12, 2017
Have you looked up at the ceiling to see if there's anything leaking or any discoloration?
posted by the webmistress at 7:50 AM on February 12, 2017
Response by poster: There's nothing on the ceiling, and neither of us uses hair dye. Weren't painting either. It's quite the mystery!
posted by kira at 8:17 AM on February 12, 2017
posted by kira at 8:17 AM on February 12, 2017
Mouse
posted by bkeene12 at 8:50 AM on February 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by bkeene12 at 8:50 AM on February 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: One other thing we thought of... if a wet/dirty critter did crawl out from behind the shower head, maybe it's just dirty water drops we're seeing and not poop.
We're gonna proceed with stuffing/sealing behind the shower head and see what happens.
(though if it *is* a mouse, I hope it's not still in the house somewhere. argh.)
posted by kira at 9:45 AM on February 12, 2017
We're gonna proceed with stuffing/sealing behind the shower head and see what happens.
(though if it *is* a mouse, I hope it's not still in the house somewhere. argh.)
posted by kira at 9:45 AM on February 12, 2017
Could it be a fungus or slime mold?
posted by dilaudid at 10:00 AM on February 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by dilaudid at 10:00 AM on February 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Could the drips have been flung out of some object that routinely gets handled during tub or shower time, and therefor has some wet gunk inside it?
posted by grog at 10:06 AM on February 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by grog at 10:06 AM on February 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
That is not what mouse or rat feces looks like. I suppose it could be rodent diarrhea, but I would find it pretty odd for rodents to have diarrhea over multiple weeks.
posted by angst at 10:16 AM on February 12, 2017
posted by angst at 10:16 AM on February 12, 2017
I thought as well looking at the first photo: is that a mold beginning to grow?
posted by ctmf at 11:20 AM on February 12, 2017
posted by ctmf at 11:20 AM on February 12, 2017
Not to freak you out or anything but bats have black urine.
posted by the webmistress at 11:24 AM on February 12, 2017
posted by the webmistress at 11:24 AM on February 12, 2017
That first one was dropped from enough height to splash. Showerhead full of mold?
posted by Mr. Yuck at 11:40 AM on February 12, 2017
posted by Mr. Yuck at 11:40 AM on February 12, 2017
Definitely not bat or gecko poop, because of the lack of quantity and uric acid, respectively.
posted by scrubjay at 6:28 PM on February 12, 2017
posted by scrubjay at 6:28 PM on February 12, 2017
It looks nothing like mouse poop - which, for starters, isn't normally liquid.
It looks like black mold in a liquid solution - as though you have black mold behind your fixtures which drip out when you activate the plumbing.
posted by Miko at 8:51 PM on February 12, 2017
It looks like black mold in a liquid solution - as though you have black mold behind your fixtures which drip out when you activate the plumbing.
posted by Miko at 8:51 PM on February 12, 2017
Response by poster: Mystery solved! Hubby found a dying roach in the tub this morning, next to another inky black drop. I don't know if the black stuff was blood (do roaches bleed?) or watery poop or what. We do use some diatomaceous earth for pest control in the adjacent room... that could be related.
Thank you all for the suggestions!
posted by kira at 5:22 AM on February 13, 2017
Thank you all for the suggestions!
posted by kira at 5:22 AM on February 13, 2017
I live under a tree that drops small purple berries. I have them squished everywhere on the front porch and back porch. One could get in a crevice of a shoe and make round marks.
posted by Oyéah at 4:32 PM on February 13, 2017
posted by Oyéah at 4:32 PM on February 13, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by thelonius at 7:26 AM on February 12, 2017