Waaah!!! Black ugly spidery dust things!!!

[bobmark226]

Something weird is going on here. In the past two days, my very high, hard-to-get at white walls and ceiling have grown black, spider-webby dust things. I'm even hesitant to clean them because I'm afraid they're going to smear the walls when I do.

Does this have something to do with the furnace output and/or ducts? I know I have to change the filter, but when I had the emergency people here, the guy jammed the cover back on and no one has been able to pry it off again. I have a call in to the oil company, who I have a contract with for this sort of thing, but is that what they are?

Bob

[acginkc]

Not exactly sure what causes those, but I get them too. I suck them up with my vacuum attatchment hose. It seems to be the fasted way to get rid of them (without having to actually touch them :o )

[Lillith]

Yikes! I have no idea what those things can be, but a long handled Swiffer Duster should remove them without harming your walls.

[EmilyK]

Bob, I would like to 2nd the advice to use a vacuum hose attachment to suck up the spiderweb things. As far as where they're coming from, we only have electric heat, so I have no advice on oil. I'm not even sure the oil company themselves will pry out the filter for you, that may need to be some sort of maintenance person. Can you take off one of the covers of the intake vents throughout the house to see how dirty the ducts themselves are?

[Peweh]

Bob, are you using a fireplace at all? I get these in the rooms I do that in.

[olchik]

Use vacuum cleaner!

[bobmark226]

Bob, are you using a fireplace at all? I get these in the rooms I do that in.

Bingo! I had a long talk with the oil company about the furnace operation yesterday and they ruled that out, so that must be it. While I used the vacuum in some spots, I can't reach other parts of the cathedral ceiling with it, so I'm waiting for my Grace-approved mop to arrive for the others. T

It's odd that this happened now, because with the warmer January weather and the novelty of the fireplace wearing off, I'm using it a lot less.

Thanks for your suggestions!
Bob

[BarbaraL]

We always called those things "cobwebs". However, I have no idea what a "cob" is.

[bobmark226]

We always called those things "cobwebs". However, I have no idea what a "cob" is.

It's from the old English word for spider.

But these are not cobwebs. All my spiders are in the shed in the backyard along with the hornets nest.

Ain't country life just grand?

Bob

[gertdog]

All my spiders are in the shed in the backyard along with the hornets nest.

Ain't country life just grand?

Bob

Ha! Dream on. We are currently hosting spider-fest '06 in our house- no idea where they're all coming from all of a sudden. I wish they were still in the shed! Also facing the annual invasion of those things that look like ladybugs but arent. Yuck.

Stephanie, who found out the hard way why wasp/hornet killer spray cans tell you NOT to stand directly under the nest when spraying. :eek:

[donleyk]

Ha! Dream on. We are currently hosting spider-fest '06 in our house- no idea where they're all coming from all of a sudden. I wish they were still in the shed! Also facing the annual invasion of those things that look like ladybugs but arent. Yuck.

Stephanie, who found out the hard way why wasp/hornet killer spray cans tell you NOT to stand directly under the nest when spraying. :eek:

:eek:

Hard lessons in the country. We've had the asian beetle thing (and it's been much better since re-insulating the front door) but the spiders haven't been bad since this fall. Plus, we have a cat so spiders are okay to play with but she passes on the beetles. She says they smell bad. :p

[Peweh]

:eek:

Hard lessons in the country. We've had the asian beetle thing (and it's been much better since re-insulating the front door) but the spiders haven't been bad since this fall. Plus, we have a cat so spiders are okay to play with but she passes on the beetles. She says they smell bad. :p

Hard lessons for sure, I had BATS in my house! One of the chimneys has no damper door and wasn't screened... had another cleaned just yesterday (never done since we lived here - could never open the damper) and I walked in to find the chimney guy sitting waist deep in hay! Seems several generations of squirrels were living there.

Bob, I think what happens is there are almost invisible cobwebs up where the wall meets the ceiling and then the soot from the fireplace clings to it, creating the scary black spider things! I recommend the vacuum like you used, or a dry mop.