Slime Mould (was - Can anyone tell me what this is...)

Hi All..

Just posted this to biology forum but on closer inspection this place might be more suited...

So I was doing the dishes tonight and looked in the garden. I thought to myself... some one has thrown scrambled egg into my garden - but on closer inspection it appears to be something fungal or weirder...

Anyway - I've attached pics, my current inclination is to bleach the patch into next week. The only thing I do to the grass out back is cut it - nothing has ever gone on treatment wise so dont know where this has come from...

Anyone able to wise me up!

http://imgur.com/a/YYgLr

Cheers.

Gardener3

I think its a slime mould of some sort, Mucilago sp. maybe .....

cuddlycavies

Alien poo

Mothman

Definitely a slime mould.

Well worth a google to read up about it. Neither a fungi or animal but have characteristics of both!

I have many examples of this locally one year a few years back and have rarely seen it since

Thanks for that.... so..

What can I / should I do about it? Have a child less than 1 year old and I know some moulds can be harmful.

Also - where could it have come from? We don't treat our garden with anything and no waste ever goes out there.

Mothman

This is not a mould in the sense that we usually think of mould so i don't think they are harmful in that sense but I can understand that 1yo will explore everything and so I'd make it that 1 yo could not get access because I'd like to continue observe. I acknowledge that most are not interested in observing and so I advise in physically removing it.

I can only guess why its there just like I could only guess in the year I had them.

I'll try and fence it off - and I'll run it by the wife if we can leave it there a while.

If there are any dramatic changes - I'll post new pics.

Out of interest - should we want to get rid of it.. what would be the best method?

Mothman

I'd appreciate updates with pics and I applaud your thoughts on trying to leave it

Note what I print here is from my own experience....and what I think I know I'm not any authority on them.

I think your situation is a temporary one, meaning couple months or so. I doubt there is any chemical treatment...and with a 1yo and from what you've typed I don't think you'd consider this. To remove, I'd probably cut at ground level with shears and move it to hidden corner. More may well come up.

Gardener3

Haven't much of a clue on slime moulds either, but if you're interested in learning more about your strange fungi/beastie there is a whole sub-forum on Wild About Britain devoted to them : http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/myxomycetes/

I had something similar in the garden a few years ago, thought the dog had been sick and hosed it away before realising what it was and wanting photographs!

Being part-animal they do move (albeit slowly) and I've a feeling I've seen time-lapse photographs, maybe on YouTube ........

Velvet shank

Probably Mucilago crustacea, completely harmless and usually disappears with a good shower of rain. Its a common species, and is especially common on grasses in limestone grassland.