Kill a Stinkhorn Fungus
Have you ever walked out your door and smelled something atrocious? It might not be that rank pair of old sneakers sitting on the porch. There is a type of fungus called the stinkhorn fungus that smells bad in order to attract flies (which help it spread its spores).
Contents
Steps
Simple Removal Method
- Put on disposable gloves. Remove the reproductive "mushroom" and any nearby round white egg-looking growths as these are going to be new stinkhorns soon. Secure the foul smelling removed material in a plastic bag.
- Remove the immediate soil or medium, usually tree bark or other loose decaying plant material and also placing it into the plastic bag. This should take only a few minutes.
- Tie off plastic bag securely and place with trash collection, do not place with yard waste. Alternative 'kill' method may be carried out at this point by applying chemicals as not intended by manufacturer including bleach, fungal stain remover, or other household disinfectants to removed stinkhorn parts, however this is not recommended or needed.
- Allow the affected area to dry out or receive sunlight would be best, if this is not possible an environmentally approved fungal killer purchased from your local nursery should complete this project and keep recurrence at minimum.
Bleach Method
- Locate the fungus.
- Make a mixture of boiling hot water and bleach.
- Plug your nose.
- Pour the mixture (still hot) onto the fungus.
- Repeat steps once a day until the fungus is gone.
Tips
- Be careful not to burn yourself with the mixture.
- There are hundreds of thousands of helpful bacteria and fungus present within a tablespoon full of soil, please realize the benefits of allowing the ground to 'kill' off the unwanted fungus rather than bleaching or partially cooking the reproductive organs.
Warnings
- The bleach method might have undesired side effects and may be ineffective.
- Washing skin with undiluted bleach can have harmful effects, if it is not thoroughly rinsed off soon after exposure.
- Stainless steel tableware soaked in bleach may be roughened and pitted.
- Bleach is poisonous and caustic, may dissolve metals and wood and kills animal tissues.
- Beach left in a stainless steel pan will cause pin holes.
Things You'll Need
- === Simple Removal Method ===
- Disposable gloves
- Plastic bag
- === Bleach Method ===
- Water
- Stove
- Bleach
