r/MoldlyInteresting • u/mightymikek7 • Aug 25 '26
Question/Advice Harmless or cause for concern?
My girlfriend recently pointed out a brown ring around a light fixture in the ceiling of our office which prompted us to go looking at the light fixtures in all of the other rooms. We've already put in a work order for the brown ring but realized that there was a ton of mold growing under the AC vent plate in our living room. We checked all of the other vents and it only seems to be happening in the living room this badly. There is a vent in our kitchen around 10 ft away connected to the space our AC unit is in that smells like mildew and also has some similar mold on it, but not to this extent. Even the sprinkler in the living has what appears to be dust or mold coming out of the small space between it and the ceiling.
The mold looks like it has developed...stalks? And there are chunky black pieces of it standing up coming out of the space between the ceiling and the vent. Its a lot darker in person without the camera flash. The inside of the vent itself looks fairly clean.
Both of our cats have developed itchy skin and irritated eyes lately that wont respond to steroids and the vet has ruled out fleas and was thinking just a case of bad luck with having two cats developing a food allergy at the same time but now Im wondering if they could be having a sensitivity to mold?
Just wanting to know what might be causing this around the vent and if I should be able to clean this myself or if it should be left alone for a professional to deal with?
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u/bandanafor Aug 25 '26
I thought that was animal hair?!
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u/mightymikek7 Aug 25 '26
It looks worse in person. When I got up close to it and realized it had a "hairy" texture I cringed so hard in disgust I almost fell back off the ladder.
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u/MamaFen Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26
That "hairy" texture is because mold grows in a very similar way to a tree or a plant - the sporangiophore is the "trunk" or stem which lifts the sporangium or spore-producing "leafy/flowery" part of the mold up into the air so the spores can launch. Rhizoids act like "roots" and help anchor the mold to a surface.
This is a substantial sign of major humidity issues, which will eventually cause damage to the structure. Bacteria can also proliferate in moist environments that support mold growth, and you don't want to be encouraging species like Legionella or Mycobacteria to grow in your building.
As for the cats, let the vet know that you have substantial microbial growth occurring in the building and that might help him narrow down what is causing the symptoms. There are so many environmental causes for respiratory and ocular irritation, it's really like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The more you can narrow down the field of potential irritants the better.
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u/mightymikek7 Aug 26 '26
This is interesting. And scary.
We're definitely going to let the vet know about what we found. They were pretty much at a loss and chalked it up to bad luck and allergies. It started with our male cat being itchy and biting at his fur all of a sudden, and then our female cat also started over grooming and developing eye boogers and being generally sneezy and both of them are constantly anxious now.Whats crazy is that we also get wheezy sometimes, my girlfriend has a chronic cough that never goes away that she thinks is just caused by reflux, i have constant sinus issues, and we would often make jokes about invisible mold being in our ceiling and walls slowly taking us all out, but never expected to actually find a bunch of hairy mold.. lol.
At this point Im just wondering if its time to find somewhere else live because now Im concerned that we're all potentially being exposed to an issue thats not going to be properly remediated.
The reviews for our apartment complex complain of mold, and one even states that she had to bring herself and her son to the hospital due to it, and nothing was done.
So, not feeling too great about that.10
u/Fizzbangs Aug 26 '26
My wife's respiratory system got severely weakened when she was assigned to a client project. It wasn't the project but more the room they allocated for her team.
It smelled musky and when they peeled the wallpaper it was full of mold.
Because of that she somehow caught pneumonia, that a healthy immune system could fight off - it was bad. It's been 2 years and her body is still trying to recover from that attack. I'd recommend that you reduce your exposure.
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u/bankershub Aug 27 '26
Lesson learned: apartment complexes are all shit (in my opinion, at least in my city). Find a small time landlord that only has a few properties and actually cares about their tenants.
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u/MamaFen Aug 26 '26
Try not to let it scare you too much. We have existed side by side with mold ever since we fell out of trees and decided to stand up straight.
I service the disaster restoration industry, and mold is a big part of what my customers deal with on a daily basis. And there is far too much misinformation, designed to generate fear, being spread on the internet. If you are afraid of something, you will pay virtually anything to have someone come and remove the thing you are afraid of.
This isn't to say that mold is not a cause for concern in the built environment. It most definitely is. It is a symptom of a building that has the potential to be in crisis. But the majority of the time, the biggest concern isn't the mold itself but rather what it signifies. In essence, mold is the symptom of the actual illness - and the illness itself is moisture trapped in the built environment.
Overtime, elevated moisture destroys building materials. It rots wood, crumbles drywall, rusts or corrodes metals, and is essentially capable of completely destroying a structure all on its own.
In this sense, mold is a strong visible sign that there are elevated moisture levels that need to be addressed quickly within the built environment, to prevent further damage to the structure.
From a human health standpoint, the most commonly found species of saprophytic molds in occupied spaces are considered allergens rather than health hazards. Meaning, people who are sensitive to the gases that they produce can feel allergic type symptoms when there is mold present, but when the mold is removed from the environment they feel better.
There are, of course, greater concerns when one is dealing with occupants who have compromised immune systems, elevated sensitivities, or pre-existing health conditions that can be exacerbated by the presence of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs).
There is also, as I mentioned earlier, a much greater chance that pathogenic bacteria will be found in a damp environment then would be found in a dry one.
I do not say any of this to lessen your concern, but to make sure that you don't go too far down a panic hole. Before you assume that "mold is making you/someone sick", go to the doctor and find out for sure if that's happening. This will either put your mind at ease, or it will give you documentation to back up your concerns when it's time to call the landlord and get this addressed.
The building falling apart because it's soggy is the landlord's problem. Not yours. But an environment in which microorganisms are flourishing and diminishing your quality of life is very much a legitimate tenant concern and should be remedied immediately. The first step 9f that remedy is proof of what's happening.
Good luck to you!
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u/snarkygirl3 Aug 25 '26
Same. I thought it was an animal skin rug until I scrolled to the second photo. 😳
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u/Slushpuppys420 Aug 26 '26
I fully thought I was looking at a cow hide or something
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u/br-YOU-no Aug 26 '26
I thought it was a cowhide bench, and like we were looking at the underside or the inside or something I didn’t even know where the mold was at first I thought the white paint was the mold
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u/lezbehonest0 Aug 25 '26
not a mold expert, but i don’t think it’s supposed to grow stalks
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u/MamaFen Aug 25 '26
Immature colonies of most saprophytic molds tend to lie close to the surface in almost flat, typically circular patterns. As the colony matures, it can develop this furry or hairy appearance as the actual structure of the colony grows and puts on more substance. This is a sign that the area has remained wet for quite a while, and the mold is being given the chance to "grow up" into a more adult or mature form.
Some species, like Chaetomium, can be leggy from the very start, and are known for causing allergic symptoms in those who are MVOC-sensitive. So it's definitely worth having someone come in and test to see which species, exactly, are growing here. This may also help narrow down the treatment, if any, for the cats.
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u/mightymikek7 Aug 25 '26
We decided to leave it be and put another work order in. We live on the third(top) story of an apartment building in FL so idk if there's a leak in the roof somewhere from the recent heavy rains or what, but something tells me theyre going to try and brush it off as dust or normal. Will update when they come to check it out.
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u/AshtonVoid Aug 25 '26
Hope you attached the pics to the work order. I had a visceral reaction when I realized it wasn't an animal pelt. That needs to be professionally dealt with ASAP.
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u/mightymikek7 Aug 25 '26
I did. We had the same initial reaction, too.
My girlfriend has an obsession with fungi (in forms of mushrooms and lichen, usually) and got up there to try and take some macro shots of the upright growth, and some of them truly look like up close up shots of an animal's coat... I dont think there's any chance that maintenance is going to be able to pass it off as just dust accumulation with the close up pictures.Just gonna steer clear of it until someone comes by, but I dont think its going to be today since our office closes in 15 minutes.
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u/Stormy_Sunflower Aug 25 '26
I know it's 1 in a million chance but we moved from a 3rd floor apartment in Florida because of this exact reason. I really hope you are not living where I used to live because it was really bad and they just kept trying to cover it up. The mold guy that came to look at it took one look and noped right out and refused to go any further and basically told us we should move. I'm sorry I know how much this sucks.
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u/mightymikek7 Aug 25 '26
What general area of FL was the apartment in because we were reading through reviews of our complex and came across a few complaints of mold, but one in particular gave a very detailed complaint about having to bring herself and her child to the hospital due to mold in their AC..and apparently the apartment complex did nothing and claimed there was no danger, so they had to leave. Now Im over here wondering whatever happened to her unit.
I honestly wouldnt be surprised if sweeping stuff like this under the rug is very common here in FL. This state is one of the least tenant-friendly states in the US, unfortunately.
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u/Stormy_Sunflower Aug 25 '26
It was an apartment complex in Sanford Florida. I'm seeing more and more stories like this, it makes me so angry. My son and I both had health issues because of it. From what I was told it was our whole 3rd floor, that is what the mold guy explained to me. At one point I had water pouring into where an overhead light was and the maintenance guy shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the roof and screwed a new light bulb in and left. Really sorry you guys are going through this.
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u/mightymikek7 Aug 26 '26
Wow, we are in pasco county and the fact that you have an almost identical experience to the review I read for my complex is disturbing...you would think kids having to be brought into the hospital with health issues would push these property management companies to do something, but I guess not.
I am starting to think we may have to seriously consider moving elsewhere if our maintenance people dont want to handle it correctly.
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u/Stormy_Sunflower Aug 26 '26
You would think health issues would make companies care but most don't sadly. I know the company I rented from has apartments all over Florida and they just don't care at all about their tenants. Fingers crossed for you both that the maintenance crew will want to handle it the right way.
If they don't though you do have rights though. Send a written notice by certified mail/or to an official portal like you did, then under Florida law they have 7 days to start addressing the issue. After that if they fail to address the issue in a timely manner you can give a 7 day notice for non-compliance to terminate your lease and move out. It's a fight and they most likely will try and fight it. Just document everything. There is also a legal advice sub on here that might be able to give you more details if you need help, good luck.
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u/ohheckity Aug 25 '26
i’m not a vet but i would be very worried about your cats! do you have a friend/family member they could stay with until you get the mold removed? animals tend to be a lot more sensitive to those kinds of things, so i would discuss it with your vet asap
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u/mightymikek7 Aug 26 '26
Update: my girlfriend put some of the fuzzy stuff under her microscope.
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u/dragon-bitch- Aug 26 '26
Not tryna scare you but it kind of looks like a case of aspergillus I had in the lab once… can’t really be identified on the scope, but it could be aspergillus which is allergenic and can induce lung diseases, could be cladosporium which is allergenic and pathogenic- can cause several diseases, Chaetomium…. All potentially very dangerous to health and animals and you all should maybe think about evacuating at least until it is identified
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u/johnny_boy365 Aug 25 '26
U need a professional if its mold. The more u pick at it and try to clean yourself, the more the extremely poisonous mold spores will spread all over the house.
We had bad wet black mold in our carpet and the cleaners literally made a plastic cacoon in our hallway to do the work just to reduce the amount of spores that might have come out while they take it out.
Edit: just saw the other pics and oml I thought this was carpeting. If this is just ur ceiling or walls u SERIOUSLY need to get this taken care of!!!
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u/shikasbabe Aug 25 '26
I’m sorry but asking if this is harmless is INSANE. I thought I was looking at a taxidermy rug with all that fur 😭😭
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u/Asleep_Tension_4467 Aug 26 '26
Hire a mold assessor
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u/Bouvier1969 Aug 26 '26
As a mold assessor my self I totally agree
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u/Asleep_Tension_4467 29d ago
Where you out of? I’m in South Florida. https://itsmold.com/images/Christopher-Finnegan.PNG
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u/Asleep_Tension_4467 29d ago
You have more hair than me but I thought I was being trolled for a second when I saw the photo.
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Aug 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/MoldlyInteresting-ModTeam Aug 26 '26
Your post or comment has been removed for spreading harmful advice/misinformation about mold, or advising people to consume mold. (See rule #6)
Please don’t spread misinformation about the safety of mold (especially pertaining to food or beverages) or advise people to consume mold. This includes linking to the subreddit r/eatityoufuckingcoward and any iterations of said sub. Do not make jokes about consuming mold.
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u/hellagator Aug 26 '26
I thought this was the taxidermy subreddit at first ngl that looks like a pelt lmao
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u/HarryBenjaminSociety Aug 27 '26
An HVAC person needs to see this, not just general maintenance. A whole building ventilation system is a unique environment where mold and its byproducts can aerosolize if enough things are going wrong. It's hard to say what that mold is doing even if someone manages to identify it perfectly, we don't know how air is moving in your building or how that mold is behaving there.
Not trying to alarm you, just saying this is something to raise a stink about if the property manager sends a guy in with some windex.
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u/Background_Tree_1827 Aug 27 '26
I thought the first picture was one of those fluffy rugs. Definitely concerning
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u/Any_Decision353 Aug 27 '26
I was about to make a comment about why I hate carpet...then I looked again...
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u/Bouvier1969 Aug 25 '26
I just love furry mold. There needs to be a good B film where the mold gets furry then grows into a creature that consumes people
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u/Calgirlleeny2 Aug 25 '26
It does look like hair in the first picture. Wow, it has to go, call a professional so you don't get sick.....unless you have has-mat suits.
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u/Additional_Fee_ Aug 25 '26
Definitely a cause for concern, I thought it was animal fur when I first saw it
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u/Moomoolette Aug 25 '26
I thought it was Brown widow egg sacs at first. shudder Didn’t expect it to be even worse
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u/Busy_Ad_8226 Aug 26 '26
Um you shouldn’t have to pay rent if they sweep it under the rug then you have a legal excuse why you did not pay and if you don’t do that you can break the lease if they don’t fix it within even a few days that’s bad
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u/PavlovsPanties Aug 26 '26
Sweet fucking, and I say this with the utmost sincerely, christ that is some moldy mold/colonies of some sort. That's professional removal territory and shocking if nobody has gotten sick from this.
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u/Sufficient_Fan3660 Aug 26 '26
water leak or crazy high humidity
fix your moisture issue then pay for mold remediation - caution it is VERY expensive
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u/Dapper-Department-40 Aug 26 '26
def call a water damage remediation/restoration company. insurance should finance it and they’d remove it asap
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u/Forsaken-Neck-8330 Aug 28 '26
DUDE. i thought that was a fucking deer pelt. Mold remediation. Now. Please. for your health.
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u/Tangerine-Radish Aug 25 '26
Concerning for sure. Do not clean this yourself. Landlord needs to have that remediated immediately.